Beijing is continuing to test space-age weapons that could make it increasingly difficult for the US to defend Taiwan in the case of an attack from China.
The DF-ZF hypersonic glide vehicle, which is believed to be capable of speeds of between 4,000 and 8,000 miles per hour (6,440kph and 12,870kph) on Monday was successfully tested for the sixth time in two years.
US intelligence sources say the highly maneuverable weapons system could carry either nuclear or conventional warheads and could probably defeat current missile defenses.
If Beijing continues to test the DF-ZF at this pace, it could actually be deployed by 2020, said Richard Fisher, senior fellow at the Virginia-based International Assessment and Strategy Center.
“A DF-ZF-based strike vehicle could form the basis of a more maneuverable second-generation anti-ship ballistic missile warhead, posing an even greater threat to US Navy ships and carriers that may need to assist Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack,” Fisher said.
Monday’s test of the DF-ZF at the Wuzhai missile test center in Shanxi Province was first reported by US national security expert Bill Gertz in the Washington Free Beacon.
Gertz said that the DF-ZF weapon was launched atop a ballistic missile from which it separated near the edge of the atmosphere before gliding to an impact range several thousand kilometers away in western China.
He said that on this occasion it flew at speeds beyond Mach 5, or about 6,190kph.
“The high rate of testing for the glide vehicle is an indication China has placed a high priority on the weapon program and that it is making rapid progress,” Gertz said.
Fisher told the Taipei Times: “China’s development of new long-range mobile space-launch vehicles and its hypersonic maneuvering warhead development point to a future Chinese intercontinental non-nuclear capability.”
“It puts greater pressure on the US to develop new energy weapons like railguns that could provide a better defense against this kind of strike vehicle,” he said.
Without suitable countermeasures, the DF-ZF could make it unlikely that the US would risk sending a carrier group to defend Taiwan in the case of an invasion by China.
“Obviously, this is a concern,” a senior Pentagon source said.
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) hosted a dinner in Taipei last night with key Taiwanese suppliers to celebrate the successful mass production of the company’s new Blackwell AI systems. Speaking to the media earlier yesterday, Huang thanked Nvidia’s Taiwanese partners for their contributions to the company’s ecosystem, while also sharing his plans to meet with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) founder Morris Chang (張忠謀). In response to rumors that Nvidia will launch a downgraded Hopper H20 chip for China in July, Huang dismissed the reports, saying, “That is not true.” He clarified that there
RSS