Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

N

no_name

Colonel
Franklin said:
Apparently a single petty officer can fire the missile from the ship. Isn't there suppose to be a command key hold only by the captain for these things ?



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The ship had a modernised fire control interface that eliminated the key and the red flip switch and replaced with a screen interface instead. The ignition cord still needs to be plugged in first for the missile to fire. Someone plugged in the cord beforehand as part of the procedure to check that all systems are functioning normally - then left it there. The petty officer was supposed to operate the weapon station under simulation mode but didn't notice that it was on combat mode, so the missile was fired.
 
Blackstone

Blackstone

Brigadier
Good article by Ted Galen on US taking a step back from the Taiwan and not allow the DPP to manufacture Sino-American confrontations that might result in conflicts.

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As Taiwan baits China, will the U.S. be dragged into yet another conflict?

Tensions between Taiwan and Mainland China rose another notch on July 1 when the Republic of China Navy accidentally launched a missile in the Taiwan Strait toward Mainland China. The supersonic Hsiung-feng III (“Brave Wind”) antiship missile flew some forty-five miles before
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[3] a Taiwanese fishing trawler, killing the skipper and injuring three crew members.

Beijing’s initial reaction was relatively restrained. Although Chinese authorities immediately demanded a “responsible explanation” for the mishap, they did not take steps to shamelessly exploit the situation for propaganda purposes. Later that day, though, a spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council
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[4] that the incident “caused severe impact at a time when the mainland has repeatedly emphasized development of peaceful cross-strait relations.”

More fundamentally, the accident was yet another step in the deterioration of relations between Beijing and Taipei since the election of Democratic Progressive Party president and legislature. Chinese leaders were unhappy about the victory of the DPP’s Tsai Ing-wen as Taiwan’s new president, even though she was not as strident in her advocacy of formal independence for the island as the last DPP president, Chen Shui-bian, had been.

Even before she took office in May, Beijing warned Tsai and her supporters that they must accept the so-called 1992 consensus that there was one China, however much the two sides might disagree about the specific definition of that concept. And that attitude has not softened in the slightest. Zhang Zhijun, the head of the Taiwan Affairs Office,
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[5] to a visiting Taiwanese business delegation in late May. “There is no future in Taiwan independence, and this cannot become an option for Taiwan’s future. This is the conclusion of history.” He added that “some people say you must pay attention to broad public opinion in Taiwan,” but he would have none of that reasoning. “Taiwan society ought to understand and attach great importance to the feelings of the 1.37 billion residents of the mainland.”

At first Tsai waffled, and then openly balked at accepting the 1992 consensus. Beijing’s irritation mounted quickly in response. In late June, barely a month after Tsai took office, China
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[6] all liaison contacts between the Taiwan Affairs Office and its Taiwanese counterpart.

Rejecting the 1992 consensus was hardly Tsai’s only offense from Beijing’s standpoint. Allies of her administration
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[7] Taiwan’s independent territorial claims in the South China Sea. She had embarked on an extremely
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[8] toward China’s archstrategic adversary, Japan. And in early June, Taiwan for the first time
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[9] for the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. That was an especially bold thumb in the eye of Beijing’s authorities. And to top matters off, Taiwan will be
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[10] its new antimissile systems in the United States later this month.

As the last item indicates, the United States is far more than a mere spectator to these developments. America has a loosely-defined but nonetheless real obligation to defend Taiwan under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act. Washington also continues to sell weapons systems to Taipei. Beijing has complained about both aspects of this relationship, but that seemed little more than an exercise in pro forma diplomatic protests during the eight years that the conciliatory Ma Ying-jeou and the Kuomintang party governed Taiwan.

That period of stability has clearly come to an end, and the United States needs to reconsider the wisdom of its security commitment to Taiwan. Impatience on the part of Beijing, rash action on the part of pro-independence Taiwanese, or just a bad accident could trigger a crisis with devastating consequences for the United States. The latest incident highlights the danger. Imagine if the fishing trawler the Taiwanese missile struck had been from the mainland rather than Taiwan. Imagine if it had been a Chinese naval vessel that was struck. One suspects that Beijing’s response would have been a lot less restrained.

The Taiwan Strait is a ticking time bomb. The Taiwanese people seem ever more determined to chart their own destiny distinct from the mainland. The mainland authorities are determined that reunification will take place at some point, and their patience is not inexhaustible. It’s hard to see how this turns out well, and unless the United States extricates itself from this increasingly dangerous commitment, it will be one of the casualties when the time bomb explodes.
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AlyxMS

AlyxMS

Junior Member
Registered Member
I think US stepping back a little would be a good idea as Tsai seems to be banking on US support.
It would send Tsai a message that Taiwan needs US, not the other way around.

Although it seems like this is not how things are going.
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Gareth Jennings, London - IHS Jane's Missiles & Rockets
04 July 2016

Norway and the Republic of China (Taiwan) are to become the latest nations to upgrade their Raytheon Sidewinder air-to-air missile (AAM) stocks to the latest AIM-9X Block II standard, a US Department of Defense (DoD) contract notification has revealed.

The USD291.75 million contract, awarded to Raytheon on 1 July, covers the initial AIM-9X Block II missiles for Norway and Taiwan, as well as follow-on missiles, training, and support solutions for the US government and other Foreign Military Sales customers.

In all, some 660 Lot 16 missiles are being contracted for the US Air Force (USAF), US Navy (USN), US Army, Japan, Norway, and the Republic of China; as well as training missiles and/or other spare parts for these operators, plus Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Republic of (South) Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Switzerland, and Turkey. These countries represent the full set of current AIM-9X Block II customers.

Work is expected to be completed in March 2019.
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AIM-9X is about the best WVR AAM out there. ROCAF having AIM-9X would boost its air defense by quite a bit.
 
Mr T

Mr T

Senior Member
Blackstone said:
The Taiwanese people seem ever more determined to chart their own destiny distinct from the mainland.
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Hmm, seems that Ted Galen subscribes to the Donald Trump position on foreign policy, i.e. "f everyone else, I'm not getting involved".

Presumably he wouldn't support Japan against China or South Korea against Pyongyang because it would be hard to see how either conflict could end well. :rolleyes:

If I remember correctly, Ted Galen always blames Taiwan for problems with its relationships with China and always suggests that China is somehow the victim.

In my view it is in the US' interests to maintain a healthy relationship with Taiwan, largely in order to help deter any hasty action from China by showing that Taiwan doesn't stand alone. Isolating Taiwan would encourage China to take action in the future, not dissuade it. And if the US is serious about its military alliance with Japan, clearly it's better for both if Taiwan remains neutral rather than be annexed by China.
 
MwRYum

MwRYum

Major
Blackstone said:
Good article by Ted Galen on US taking a step back from the Taiwan and not allow the DPP to manufacture Sino-American confrontations that might result in conflicts.

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The only accident was that the missile failed to cross the Strait and hit - something, or anything - on Mainland'd side. With that objective failed (of all time, picking the July 1st to fire that missile was no less than giving a middle finger to CPC, which was their party anniversary, though of course there are at least 4 more time till the end of this year to "do it again"), they nailed a lowly NCO to the wall for it; plus waited 8 hours later than contact the Mainland about this "accident" (but Taipei first alerted Washington about it, within 1st hour of the "accident")...just look at Taiwan's domestic response, most acknowledged that if the missile can nailed a fishing trawler, they can nail just about any PLAN major surface combatent - in case anyone forget, on its debut it was promoted as "aircraft carrier killer".
 
C

confusion

Junior Member
Registered Member
Taiwan has finally decided to build its own subs:
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Officials says first sub should be completed by 2024

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 07 July, 2016, 3:27pm

Taiwan’s military said on Thursday it has already begun the process of designing a long-sought-after domestic attack submarine, hoping to complete it in 2024.

Navy Command Headquarters Chief of Staff Vice Admiral Mei Chia-shu told a legislative committee session: “We plan to complete the design by 2019 and complete the construction by 2024.”

Defence Minister Feng Shih-kuan said “outside pressure” was the biggest factor and challenge for the project, referring to mainland China. The mainland considers Taiwan a breakaway Chinese province that should be reunited with the rest of the country.

The submarine is part of the navy’s 15-year plans to rebuild its military might and strengthen the island’s defence industry. The plan was first announced in 2014 and the ministry established a task force last month to help push the project forward.

No countries have been willing to provide Taiwan with a design blueprint, mainly due to fears of political consequences from mainland China. Mei said the navy was planning to obtain the design blueprint from the Netherlands, the country that designed and built two of the island’s diesel-powered submarines.

Mei said the navy signed a contract with a Dutch company earlier this year to extend the lifespan of the two subs so Taiwan could use the design blueprint as the basis for the construction of the first home-built submarine.

The navy is planning to commission the Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Centre to be mainly responsible for the design and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology for the integration of the combat system.

Mei did not reveal who the builder would be, but a report obtained by Kyodo News showed the navy was planning to award the contract to CSBC Corp Taiwan.

The report also indicated that Taiwan was capable of building 70 per cent of the turbine system of the submarine, 50 per cent of the outer hull, 30 per cent of the motor system and 30 per cent of the combat system.

Besides obtaining the design blueprint from the Netherlands, the navy also needs the support of other countries capable of building submarines, according to Deputy Chief of the General Staff Admiral Pu Tze-chun.

Pu declined to specify which countries have been contacted.

Other countries that have the capability of building submarines include France, Germany, Sweden, India, Japan and the United States.

The United States, which agreed in 2001 to sell Taiwan eight non-nuclear submarines, has promised to help Taiwan build attack submarines.

However, since then the deal has failed to move forward due to technical and political constraints.

Citing Australia’s recent agreement to engage a French defence firm to construct submarines for its navy, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lo Chih-cheng warned Taiwan’s navy not to repeat the same “failure”.

Lo said Australia spent a significant amount of money on the contract after wasting time and money trying to build domestic vessels.
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F

Franklin

Captain
Blackstone said:
Good article by Ted Galen on US taking a step back from the Taiwan and not allow the DPP to manufacture Sino-American confrontations that might result in conflicts.

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The article makes it sound like the missile launch was a planned action. I don't think so. What no one adresses is the lack of competency and discipline in the Taiwanese military that has led to this incident. This doesn't make Taiwan look good at all. And I don't see how the Taiwanese are going to be able to exploit the missile incident in their favor in any way.
 
Mr T

Mr T

Senior Member
Franklin said:
And I don't see how the Taiwanese are going to be able to exploit the missile incident in their favor in any way.
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Indeed. It seems more likely to have been an accident. If the objective had been to prove the missile was super accurate, it would have been possible to just buy an old fishing ship and done the same thing.

Plus Taiwan isn't North Korea - random civilians aren't deliberately killed by the government in weird conspiracies that no one understands (not since the KMT martial law era, anyway).
 
T

taxiya

Brigadier
Registered Member
Just want to comment on a detail of the missile incident, the center line of the strait.

Unlike the 38 parallel line (cease fire line) on the Korean peninsula, there is no cease fire line between Mainland and Taiwan. The center line of the strait is ONLY a geographical line, nothing more. There is never a cease fire or peace agreement between the two sides of the straight since 1949 (unlike the armistice agreement in Korea). Technically the Chinese civil war can resume any minutes without either side breaking any obligation. The situation is that both sides stopped shooting each other voluntarily.

This is not to propose confrontation but to remind people not to take that center line for any meaning and use it as any justification or judgement.
 
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