Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

Raytheon Awarded $685.7 Million for New Patriot Systems for Taiwan


(Source: Raytheon Company; issued December 16, 2011)



TEWKSBURY, Mass. --- Raytheon Company has received a $685.7 million Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract for additional new fire units of the combat-proven Patriot Air and Missile Defense System for Taiwan.

"Our partnership with Taiwan dates back more than 45 years, and we are committed to providing Taiwan with the best air and missile defense system capability available," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business (IDS).

Patriot is the world's most capable air and missile defense system, protecting against a full range of advanced threats, including aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. It is the system of choice for 12 nations around the globe.

Raytheon is the prime contractor for both domestic and international Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems and system integrator for Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles.

Main points:

--This award is in addition to the one received in 2009 for new systems for Taiwan and the 2008 contracts to upgrade Taiwan 's existing systems.
--Raytheon recently delivered the first Configuration-3 radar system to Taiwan , completing the upgrade 10 months ahead of the original program plan the customer requested.
--The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., issued this contract for new Patriot fire units that will feature new advanced technology, improved man-machine interface and reduced life-cycle costs.

bd popeye said:

Some years ago I told a member of this forum that the ROC would never purchase desiel subs from the US..

Ahemmmmm....

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I believe Taiwan will ultimately get its subs. I believe the main mover will be their own indegenous firm designing and building them, but that they will receive significant assistance from the US and potentially from Japan.

In the end, I expect they will field modern, AIP diesel electrics that will use western sonars, weapons, etc, and will probably be capable of submersed (either VLS or tube fired) anti-shipping and anti-surface missiles.

Time will tell.

I believe the US should embark itself on building several conventionally powered subs for litoral water duties. Advanced AIG, sonars, weapons, etc. The US is capable of it...and the cost for one such vessel will be a whole lot cheaper than a Virginia Class and should not decrease the number of Virginia's IMHO, but give the US a better, more effective and efficient weapon to be used in the litoral waters. Such a program would augment the nuclear fleet, not replace any of it.

But those are just my thoughts on the matter. As we developed our own, we would be in a position to assist the ROC. Japan is already in that position and could do so of they came to terms.

I am still of the opinion that given the still ongoing Lafayette dispute with the French, now that DCN itself is being sued after the very large settlement with Thales, that Paris will eventually cough up a SSK design or technical help to ROC to settle the case with GD EB providing help to a Taiwanese shipyard.

cptplt said:

I am still of the opinion that given the still ongoing Lafayette dispute with the French, now that DCN itself is being sued after the very large settlement with Thales, that Paris will eventually cough up a SSK design or technical help to ROC to settle the case with GD EB providing help to a Taiwanese shipyard.

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Hmmm...had not thought of that. Could well be.

That would give just the wrong message to a major creditor.

delft said:

That would give just the wrong message to a major creditor.

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Lots of countries lend money to France. Let's not get into the "China owns everyone's debt and can veto arms sales to Taiwan" argument. It's impossible to quantify China's influence in this area, especially given that punishing France any time soon might lead to a collapse of the euro and screw everyone over royally, China included.

Mr T said:

Lots of countries lend money to France. Let's not get into the "China owns everyone's debt and can veto arms sales to Taiwan" argument. It's impossible to quantify China's influence in this area, especially given that punishing France any time soon might lead to a collapse of the euro and screw everyone over royally, China included.

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Funny, conventional wisdom would dictate that when your house is on fire, doing something to deliberately royally tick off one of the very few guys around with a water hose big enough to put out the flames is an enormously daft thing to do.

Even if China might have been inclined to step in and help, it would find it impossible to do so if France did something as monumentally stupid as giving/selling Taiwan SSK designs.

Taiwan matters far more to China than money or even economic growth, and if France did sell SSK designs to Taiwan, Beijing will be hard pressed to not retaliate with crippling economic sanctions. The markets would know this, so even if China does resist, the markets are going to panic, that alone would probably be enough to tip the Euro over the edge.

Mr T said:

Lots of countries lend money to France. Let's not get into the "China owns everyone's debt and can veto arms sales to Taiwan" argument. It's impossible to quantify China's influence in this area, especially given that punishing France any time soon might lead to a collapse of the euro and screw everyone over royally, China included.

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Besides, Taiwan would end up leaking French design data to the US. DCN certainly doesn't want that.

plawolf said:

Funny, conventional wisdom would dictate that when your house is on fire, doing something to deliberately royally tick off one of the very few guys around with a water hose big enough to put out the flames is an enormously daft thing to do.

Even if China might have been inclined to step in and help, it would find it impossible to do so if France did something as monumentally stupid as giving/selling Taiwan SSK designs.

Taiwan matters far more to China than money or even economic growth, and if France did sell SSK designs to Taiwan, Beijing will be hard pressed to not retaliate with crippling economic sanctions. The markets would know this, so even if China does resist, the markets are going to panic, that alone would probably be enough to tip the Euro over the edge.

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The CCP staying in power matters more to them than Taiwan though, world economic meltdown will not help in that matter. yeah they could and probably would in that case use war (on Taiwan most likely) to redirect tension, but that's a mighty big political gamble for any party in power to take.

plawolf said:

Taiwan matters far more to China than money or even economic growth, and if France did sell SSK designs to Taiwan, Beijing will be hard pressed to not retaliate with crippling economic sanctions.

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I don't see any crippling sanctions imposed on the US over the years despite all the arms sales it has made to Taiwan. China's bark is worse than its bite.

Skywatcher said:

Besides, Taiwan would end up leaking French design data to the US.

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Taiwan would have no possible reason to do that. The US doesn't want diesel-electric submarine designs and Taiwan wouldn't try to destroy a new relationship with a country that sold it arms.