One of the three new weapon procurement contracts signed with the US last year is to be delivered by the end of this year, the Ministry of National Defense announced today.
The three contracts are for Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), an L-band electronic array radar and a non-L-band electronic array radar, the ministry said.
Given the frequent military activities in the Taiwan Strait by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the NASAMS and new radar systems will deepen Taiwan’s air defense capabilities, the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense
NASAMS have been used effectively in Ukraine, offering up automated detection capability, distributed firepower capabilities, a supporting command and control component, the ministry added.
The two new radar systems will improve detection rates and be resistant to jamming or interference, the ministry said.
NASAMS integrates the MPQ-64 “Sentinel,” multiple types of short and medium-range air defense missiles, and the Link 16 military tactical data link, allowing it to defend against aircraft within a range of 40 to 50 kilometers.
NASAMS will be deployed in Greater Taipei, with one located in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and the other in New Taipei’s Tamsui District (淡水), as both locations would be crucial in defending the capital, the ministry said.
The electronic array systems will be spread across the country, the ministry added.
NASAMS has performed well in Ukraine, making it a priority item for the US to recommend to Taiwan as part of the country’s push to increase its asymmetric warfare capabilities, defense expert Mei Fu-hsing (梅復興) said.
Unlike several other arms sales, Mei said, this system aligns well with that goal.
The US government announced on Oct. 26 last year that it would notify the US Congress of the agreements, totaling US$1.988 billion.
This is the 17th arm sale to Taiwan under outgoing US President Joe Biden.
The contract for NASAMS amounts to NT$10.31 billion (US$312.7 million), has a fulfillment date of Dec. 27 of last year, and will run until Feb. 25, 2034.
The L-band electronic array radar will cost NT$6.42 billion and run until 2030, while the non-L model will cost NT$7.61 billion and expire at the same time.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
PLANNED: The suspect visited the crime scene before the killings, seeking information on how to access the roof, and had extensively researched a 2014 stabbing incident The suspect in a stabbing attack that killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei on Friday had planned the assault and set fires at other locations earlier in the day, law enforcement officials said yesterday. National Police Agency (NPA) Director-General Chang Jung-hsin (張榮興) said the suspect, a 27-year-old man named Chang Wen (張文), began the attacks at 3:40pm, first setting off smoke bombs on a road, damaging cars and motorbikes. Earlier, Chang Wen set fire to a rental room where he was staying on Gongyuan Road in Zhongzheng District (中正), Chang Jung-hsin said. The suspect later threw smoke grenades near two exits
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS