Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

S

Skywatcher

Captain
TerraN_EmpirE said:
I just read a news report from cnn of all places indicating the possibility of a nuclear south korea in response to there issues with the north. he korea becomes two nuclear states japan would likely fallow suit and I would bet dollars to donuts taiwan would be packing a nuclear options some where along the line.
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The PRC has explicitly stated that Taiwanese WMDs is cause for immediate war. There's no way on G*d's green earth that Taipei can build a deliverable package before the 2nd Artillery starts raining SRBMs on Taiwan. And if Taiwan goes for nukes, you can kiss any hope of ever getting U.S. assistance away for good.
 
S

Skywatcher

Captain
Franklin said:
Article published on 28 april 2011



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If it's that Cloud Peak ramjet missile (of which an alleged 50 have been deployed) the CMC must be squaredancing with joy in the Zhonghannai conference that Taiwan just blew $500 million-$1 billion of its $10 billion defense budget and scarce military professionals on an outdated 1960s technology.
 
plawolf

plawolf

Lieutenant General
TerraN_EmpirE said:
Given the current American administration I an not sure the US nuclear umbrella concept is a possible option at all and I an American. So for Japan or Taiwan the heat is on and if South Korea is feeling the need to nuke that means a Asian arms race is on. The PRC would likely protest but in reality would it really force the invasion? I dont think so. It would sure as hell ratchet up tensions and China might be forced to chill with some of the nationalism in the east China sea.
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Any confirmation that Taiwan is developing nukes will result in war with the mainland. Its as simple as that, and that is why America sabotaged Taiwan's efforts previously. For China, the notion of a nuclear Taiwan is more unacceptable than the idea of a nuclear Iran for Israel and the US.

What more, with all the rhetoric Washington has been pumping out about anti-proliferation, even American politicians would struggle to summon the nerve to support Taiwan if it was their nuclear weapons programme that set off a war.
 
Jeff Head

Jeff Head

General
Registered Member
mr.bean said:
This actually shows how weak Taiwan's defence industry is when they can't build much of their nessasary equipment and systems.
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Sorry. It does not show them "weak" at all.

They actually build an amazing number of their own necessary systems for the size and resource base that their country (Island) represents. For example:

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- F-CK-1 Multi-role 4th generation fighter/bomber (similar to F-16)
- AT-3B Advanced jet trainer (capable of combat role)

- Sky Sword II MR, Radar Air to Air missile (similar to AMRAAM)
- Sky Sword I SR IR Air to Air missile (similar to Sidewinder)

- Sky Bow III Long Range, High performance BMD capable SAM (similar to Patriot)
- Sky Bow II Medium Range SAM

- CM-32 new 8-wheeled IFV (first 100 building)
- CM-21 Tracked APC in various confgs (APC, AT w/Tow Missiles, Mortar, etc.)

- King Feng IV Tracked 117mm Multiple Rocket Launcher
- Thunderbolt 2000 8 Wheeld Multiple Rocket Launcher

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HsunHai.jpg



- Kang Deng Frigates (license built, modified Perry Class Frigate - 8 built
- Ching Chiang Offshore Patrol Vessel - 12 built
- Kuang Hua VI Missile boats - 30 built
- Hsun Hai Stealth Corvettes - 12 building ($800 Million (US) budget approved in 2012)

- Hsiung Feng II subsonic SSM 160kmn range, 180 kg warhead (like Harpoon)
- Hsiung Feng II supersonic (Mach 2+) SSM 150km range 180 kg warhead

All of these are built and maintained by the Republic of China...in addition to the significant purchases (like the one we are talking about) that the ROC has made.

Which shows, that in addition to building a lot of their own necessities, they have the smarts to come up with the design and specify the other things they need, and then go to the market place and get it.

Of course Taiwan cannot build everything it needs. As stated, it is a small nation with limited resource.

But, the US, as big as is it and with the massive resources it has, still also acquires some systems from other nations. The mainland Chinese do the same thing. Does this mean they are weak? No, not at all.

Given their size and resource, I believe the ROC has done very well for itself, and although without help they could not hope to win a long term war of attrition in any way with the PRC, they do have enough capability to make it very expensive to contemplate...which, along with the suppotr they receive, particualrly from the US, has provided a strong enough deterence to date to avoid war.
 
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cptplt

Junior Member
Sounds like some movement on the UH60M program. 2 simulators for just 4 choppers is clearly not the final plan! Other 56 must be ready to be ordered soon.
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MwRYum

MwRYum

Major
cptplt said:
Sounds like some movement on the UH60M program. 2 simulators for just 4 choppers is clearly not the final plan! Other 56 must be ready to be ordered soon.
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Logical, their fleet of UH-1 is already getting old. But how soon this'd get through depends on how much squabbling there'll be in their parliament when pushing for the budget.
 
C

cptplt

Junior Member
The MND usually doesn't ask for DCSA notification of a US arms purchase till they have funding lined up or have an understanding it will be there. That approval is 3 years old already and only 4 aircraft have been purchased of the 60 approved. Latest reports suggest deferral of main program till 2016 in service. This simulator buy would seem to be appropriately timed.
 
J

jobjed

Captain
Jeff Head said:
Given their size and resource, I believe the ROC has done very well for itself, and although without help they could not hope to win a long term war of attrition in any way with the PRC, they do have enough capability to make it very expensive to contemplate...which, along with the support they receive, particularly from the US, has provided a strong enough deterrence to date to avoid war.
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More impressive is when they're put in contrast to another US ally with a near identical population; Australia. Australia is literally just lounging around when compared to Taiwan, their industrial complex is weak, underdeveloped and severely lacking in human talent when compared to Taiwan. Australia has no world-class firms while Taiwan has Acer, Asus, HTC and Foxconn just to name a few. For an island territory with a population of 23 million, Taiwan's achievements are astounding while Australia has got to get its act together, particularly in the secondary sector of its economy.
 
F

Franklin

Captain
This article helps to explain why Taiwan decided to buy two second hand OHP class frigates from the US instead of building them on Taiwan themself. Those 8 Cheng Kung class frigates that Taiwan build under license from the US costs about 570 million $ each or nearly twice the cost of a Type 054A.

Taiwan Looks To Buy 2 Perry-Class Frigates From U.S.

Struggling to pay for recent weapons released for sale by the U.S., Taiwan may seek to buy two former U.S. Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates after its plan to buy four was terminated.

The Taiwan Navy originally planned to buy four Perrys from the U.S., but the effort was blocked by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in late 2011 because of cost and technical considerations, a Taiwan defense industry source said. The MND has been having difficulty paying for $18 billion worth of U.S. arms released by the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program between 2008 and 2011. It is also pushing the U.S. to release 66 F-16C/D fighter aircraft on hold since 2006.

There has been criticism among defense analysts in Taipei and Washington who suggest Taiwan would be better off building the warships in Kaohsiung.

A U.S. defense analyst said the U.S.-built Perrys are “too old and too expensive” for Taiwan, especially when they are older than the eight Perrys Taiwan built locally. The China Shipbuilding Corp. built eight PFG-2 Perry-class frigates (Cheng Kung-class) under license between 1993 and 2005.

However, the Taiwan defense industry source indicated the older U.S. frigates would “represent the quickest and least costly way for Taiwan to fulfill this requirement.”

“Taiwan has no money to build new Perrys, the last of which, built 10 years ago, cost over $570 million,” he said. “Today, building four new PFG-2s would cost well over $2 billion, as compared with near- scrap prices for surplus ... Perrys, plus refurbishment and upgrade.”

Taiwan’s eight 3,800-ton Knox- class (Chi Yang-class) frigates were procured from the U.S. in the 1990s. All are based at Suao Naval Base with the 169 Patrol Squadron and perform primarily anti-submarine warfare missions along Taiwan’s east coast. Each ship is equipped with SQS-26CX, SQS- 35(V) and SQR-18A(V)1 sonars.

Weapons include ASROC Mk 16 anti-submarine rockets, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, SM-1MR air defense missiles and Mk 46 torpedoes. Each ship can carry one MD500 anti-submarine warfare helicopter. The MD500 is assigned to the 501st Helicopter Squadron at Tsoying Naval Base.

In 2003, seven Knox frigates received the H930 modular combat systems stripped from the seven remaining Gearing-class destroyers later scuttled as reefs.

The next year, the Taiwan Navy began debating options to replace the Knox after the 932 Chi Yang (ex-FF 1073 Robert E. Peary) became temporarily inoperable because of mechanical and structural problems. The local Chinese-language media dubbed the frigates “beached wrecks.”

The Navy was initially divided on building smaller vessels in the 2,000-ton range, while others pushed for larger vessels capable of handling more weapons. Both plans were dropped when the MND continued to delay the decision because of budget problems.

If Taiwan is unable to procure a replacement for the eight Knox frigates, it will be down to 18 warships over 3,800-tons: four Kidd- class (Keelung) destroyers, eight Perry-class frigates and six La Fayette-class (Kang Ding) frigates.

In 2000, the Navy had 39 warships over 3,000 tons. During the 1996 Taiwan Strait Missile Crisis, Taiwan had 43 destroyers and frigates.
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