The procurement of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft from the United States will meet the military's minimum combat demand and expand its undersea surveillance scope more than 10-fold, according to a report presented yesterday to the legislature by the Ministry of National Defense.
While seven of the planes are expected to be delivered to Taiwan in 2009, the other five will be delivered in 2011, the report says.
It says the ministry originally reserved NT$53.04 billion (US$1.7 billion) in a special budget proposal for the 12 aircraft, but the amount has recently been adjusted to NT$45.04 billion following changes in the exchange rate and cutbacks in spending and coverage of some of the amount by the government's regular budget.
It points out that the military's existing S-2T anti-submarine planes, which have been in service for more than 40 years, are no longer capable of meeting the military's combat demands and that the military needs to replace the planes to enhance its three-dimensional anti-submarine capabilities.
China has in recent years developed the Song-class submarine and nuclear-powered submarines and has also purchased Kilo-class submarines from Russia, the report notes.
In the event of a Chinese blockade of Taiwan, the nation's economy and security will be seriously jeopardized, it says.
Lin Chin-ching (林勤經), head of the ministry's Integrated Assessment Office, predicted that China will have the ability to build aircraft carriers in 2008 and to form an aircraft carrier battle group in 2015 to gain sea dominance in the Taiwan Strait.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
Tropical Storm Fung-Wong would likely strengthen into a typhoon later today as it continues moving westward across the Pacific before heading in Taiwan’s direction next week, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. As of 8am, Fung-Wong was about 2,190km east-southeast of Cape Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving westward at 25kph and possibly accelerating to 31kph, CWA data showed. The tropical storm is currently over waters east of the Philippines and still far from Taiwan, CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said, adding that it could likely strengthen into a typhoon later in the day. It is forecast to reach the South China Sea
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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