The launch of China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier on Wednesday has prompted yet another flurry of review of viable Taiwanese counters, with the Ministry of National Defense (MND), legislators and academics all agreeing that missile range development and submarines should be sufficient to counter latent threats posed by the 001A carrier.
The 001A, the official name of which is yet unknown, shows that Beijing’s efforts to build a blue water navy are an unstoppable trend, and that China seeks to protect its national interests in the South China Sea, officials said on Wednesday.
However, MND officials said that, should it prove necessary, the Taiwanese navy is capable of ensuring the safety of the nation through the “layered defense” provided by Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles and the submarine fleet.
Photo: AFP
The comment on submarines refers to the navy’s plans to manufacture its own submarines, with the first batch scheduled to be in service after 2025.
According to Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應), the reverse-engineering of the 001A from the Liaoning proves that the Chinese are now capable of manufacturing carriers.
With ample funding to sustain and maintain a carrier battle group, even if Chinese carriers were behind those of the US by one to two generations, they would still be able to delay US military aid coming to Taiwan, Tsai said.
However, Chieh Chung (揭仲), a research fellow at the National Policy Foundation, a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) think tank, said that while the launch of the 001A carrier shows that China’s shipbuilding technology has improved, the ship’s combat capabilities might not yet be better than those of the Liaoning.
Although the 001A has superior hardware, equipment and deck size compared to the Liaoning, it still employs a ski-jump takeoff ramp, not catapult launchers, to launch jets, which limits the ship to anti-air duty within the battle group, Chieh said.
Airborne early warning and control, and anti-submarine functions would still be performed by helicopters, Chieh said.
Meanwhile, Tsai said that the nation’s missile arsenal was made up mostly of short to mid-range defensive missiles, and the MND should not focus on acquiring more defensive weaponry in future purchases and research.
Taiwan must also acquire weaponry that is capable of offensive actions, Tsai said.
The Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology could build on the Hsing Feng III missiles and research long-range missiles —with a range that exceeds 1,000km — that are capable of precision strikes, he said.
Only through such weaponry would Taiwan be able to present an effective deterrent to China and prevent it from resorting to armed invasion, he added.
The Chinese aircraft carrier program is still in its infancy, National Chung Hsing University Graduate Institute of International Politics professor Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said. adding that its capability to conduct strikes are as yet not fully developed, while the ship is still vulnerable to anti-submarines and anti-missile defenses.
The nation should focus on its missile development and on its project to domestically build submarines, as well as develop missile-boat platforms, Tsai Ming-yen said.
The nation should especially invest in enhancing the precision strike capabilities and increasing the destructive force of its missiles, he added.
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
RSS