Tue, Mar 25, 2003 page7

• Defense officials complain about Patriot missiles

  TRY BEFORE WE BUY The poor performance of the new PAC-3 version of the air-defense system has given the MND second thoughts about buying it

  • By Brian Hsu / STAFF REPORTER
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  The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday complained about the low interception rate of the Patriot air defense system against Iraqi missiles in the ongoing strike on Iraq.

  "We will ask the US to improve the Patriot system before delivering the newest version of the system -- the PAC-3 -- to the island. If they can not meet our demands, we will set up certain conditions for the deal," deputy defense minister General Chen Chao-ming (陳肇敏) said.

  "The kind of Patriot that US troops now use in the Middle East is the PAC-2. Iraq fired a total of 11 Scud missiles so far. The Patriot successfully intercepted only two of them. Such an interception rate is a lower than acceptable level," Chen said.

  Chen made the remarks yesterday at a meeting of the legislative defense committee while responding to inquiries from several lawmakers over the performance of the Patriot system in the US-led coalition strike on Iraq. Chen confirmed at that time that the MND has decided to buy the Patriot PAC-3 and that it has begun paperwork for the deal.

  He did not go into details about the deal. His comments were mainly concerning whether the US will be able to improve the problems it has found with the Patriot system during the conflict with Iraq before delivering the PAC-3 version of the system to Taiwan.

  He declined to reveal when the military will start taking delivery of the PAC-3 or how much money the deal will cost.

  The military plans to buy six batteries of the PAC-3 for deployment in the central and southern parts of the nation, sources said.

  The deal is reported to cost NT$100 billion. Each PAC-3 missile interceptor is said to cost NT$140 million.

  Given that the PAC-3 system is so expensive and has yet to be proven reliable, Chen said, the MND has alternative plans if it does not buy the PAC-3.

  One of the alternatives the MND is looking into is an anti-tactical ballistic missile (ATBM) system now under development by the military's Chun Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST).

  CSIST deputy director rear admiral Song Ta-wei (宋大偉), also speaking at yesterday's meeting of the legislative defense committee, said the ATBM is scheduled to be completed for development by 2006.

  "The ATBM is meant to be the equivalent of the Patriot PAC-3," Song said, responding to several lawmakers who expressed concern over the development of the local missile defense system.

  The ATBM project, which has proceeded for several years, is now entering the test phase, sources said. The missile interceptor is based on the Tien Kung (Sky Bow) missile developed by CSIST. It is generally known as the Tien Kung III. The previous two versions of the Tien Kung, including the Tien Kung I and Tien Kung II, are effective against aircraft.

  Various tests of the system indicate that the missile interceptor has yet to gain great enough speed to effectively intercept target missiles, sources said.

  The system is designed primarily to intercept low-altitude targets, including aircraft and missiles. To rival the capabilities of the Patriot PAC-3, the system must also be able to defend against higher-altitude targets.

  "If the ATBM project fails, we have other alternative solutions, too," deputy defense minister Chen said.
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