The navy yesterday confirmed that a missile from a US-made M48A2 “Chaparral” air defense system exploded near houses in Pingtung County during an exercise in March.
The Chinese-language United Evening News reported yesterday that during a drill at a military base in Jioupeng (九鵬), Pingtung County, a missile fired from a Chaparral toward a sea target suddenly veered toward land and exploded near houses in a village.
The missiles are set to self-detonate 25 seconds after losing contact with a target, and the missile exploded in the air.
One vehicle was damaged in the incident, with no injuries reported.
The navy said the military had compensated villagers for the damage and apologized.
Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發) went to Jioupeng immediately afterward to console villagers and handle compensation, the navy said, adding that the villagers were understanding.
The reasons for the incident could be complicated, the navy said, and could include system problems, the condition of the missile and the weather among other causes.
The news report said a Marine Corps unit and an Army air defense unit operated the Chaparral during the live-fire exercise. The Marines launched two missiles at sea flares. While the first hit the target, the second turned right toward land and exploded beyond the village.
The Marine Corps said that before firing the missile, an audio signal confirmed that the missile had locked onto its target, and infrared sensors also confirmed that the target was in sight, the report said.
The Marine Corps are still trying to determine the reasons for the error, the report said.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office has continued its investigation into allegations of forged signatures in recall efforts today by searching the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) city chapter and questioning several personnel including the chapter director, according to media reports. Among those questioned and detained were KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), chapter secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿), chapter secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文) and first district committee executive director Tseng Fan-chuan (曾繁川). Prosecutors said they would not confirm reports about who had been summoned. The investigation centers on allegations that the ongoing recall campaigns targeting Democratic Progressive Party legislators Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤)
Several Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) officials including Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) are to be summoned for questioning and then transferred to prosecutors for holding an illegal assembly in Taipei last night, the Taipei Police said today. Chu and two others hosted an illegal assembly and are to be requested to explain their actions, the Taipei City Police Department's Zhongzheng (中正) First Precinct said, referring to a protest held after Huang Lu Chin-ju (黃呂錦茹), KMT Taipei's chapter director, and several other KMT staffers were questioned for alleged signature forgery in recall petitions against Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators. Taipei prosecutors had filed