A mobile air defense system manufactured by Taiwan’s weapons developer is to make its debut on Tuesday during a live-fire exercise in Pingtung County, a source in the nation’s military with knowledge on the matter said.
The drill, slated for Tuesday at the Jiupeng (九鵬) military base in Manjhou Township (滿州) operated by state-owned weapons developer the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, is to test an assortment of missile systems, including a missile known as the “field air defense weapons system.”
The system is a car-mounted variant of the Tien Chien II (TC-2) air-to-air missile, the source said, adding that a total of three missiles of the TC-2 variant would be launched during the drill.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Developed by Chungshan Institute, it is a surface-launched version of the TC-2 model that is controlled by a command post vehicle and consists of a launch platform, a car-mounted array radar system and a missile vehicle, they said.
It was delivered to the Republic of China Army in May last year and replaced the outgoing MIM-72A/M48 Chaparral surface-to-air missiles, the source said.
The TC-2 variant has a 15km range and can be deployed against rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft, drones and cruise missiles, the source added.
The Chungshan Institute plans to test the field air defense weapons system once a year in live-fire exercises, they said.
Other missiles in Taiwan’s arsenal to join the drill include AGM-114 Hellfire, Thunderbolt-2000 multiple launch rocket system and FIM-92 Stinger missiles, the source said.
The surface-launched TC-2 missiles could beef up mid-range air defense capability and offer more cover for ground troops by countering air raids, Chou Yu-ping (周宇平), a retired air force officer, said.
The surface-launched TC-2 could be used in combination with shorter-range Stinger missiles to cover more bases as part of Taiwan’s low to mid-altitude air defense, while the domestically developed Tien Kung family of air defense missiles and the MIM-104 Patriot missiles could be deployed against high and ultra-high altitude targets, Institute for National Defense and Security Research associate researcher Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌) said.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS