Taiwan Military News Thread

[Deleted member 675]

Pics of these ships with others of the ROCN fleet would really be nice to see.

There's a picture thread in the pictures sub-forum. Go take a look there.

 

[Deleted member 675]

I've been told that RAM hasn't been offered to Taiwan. It's a US-German project - does that mean the Germans can veto a sale? If so it's unlikely they'll allow it being offered to Taiwan anytime soon.

 

[planeman]

I'm wondering about the Kidd's SSM fit - are they to get HF-II and HF-III?

 

[Deleted member 675]

I'm wondering about the Kidd's SSM fit - are they to get HF-II and HF-III?

They already have Harpoon Block-II, so HF-IIs would be a bit daft. As to HF-III, I have heard it suggested but that's not a current plan AFAIK. The first ships to get them will be the Perrys. If everything works fine with them, the Kidds might get an upgrade.

 

[planeman]

It's confirmed thatthe Harpoons are retained? (Just wondering, I was expecting quite a few systems to be removed, or at least transfered in a "fitted for but no longer with" state.

 

[Deleted member 675]

It's confirmed thatthe Harpoons are retained?

Err, yeah? Why wouldn't they have been?

I was expecting quite a few systems to be removed

Nothing was removed - if anything a few systems polished up to a better spec. The US cleared Harpoons for sale years ago, so why would they remove them?

 

[planeman]

cool.

BTW, my logic wasn't that Harpoons weren't for export, just that lots of systems are often removed during exports like this - Romanian Type-22 frigates without the Sea Wolf being an easy example. It wouldn't have surprised me if Taiwan had preferred an HF-II/III fit anyway just on logistics/patriotism grounds.

 

[Deleted member 675]

BTW, my logic wasn't that Harpoons weren't for export, just that lots of systems are often removed during exports

Well the whole point of selling the Kidds was that the Americans were trying to help the ROCN with a decent destroyer. If they'd stripped important parts out I doubt the Taiwanese would have bought them - memories of the La Fayettes and subsequent problems, etc.

It wouldn't have surprised me if Taiwan had preferred an HF-II/III fit anyway just on logistics/patriotism grounds.

HF-II isn't superior to Harpoon in my opinion (even if it's still a fair missile). I'm not sure if the HF-III is formally in service with the ROCN or not - I doubt there will be any plans about adding them to the Kidds until the Perrys are all kitted out and the project is viewed as a total success.

 

[adeptitus]

cool.

BTW, my logic wasn't that Harpoons weren't for export, just that lots of systems are often removed during exports like this - Romanian Type-22 frigates without the Sea Wolf being an easy example. It wouldn't have surprised me if Taiwan had preferred an HF-II/III fit anyway just on logistics/patriotism grounds.

Somewhat off-topic... Romania bought 2 old batch 2 Type 22 FFG's with many systems removed, because they intended to refit them with new weapons and sensor package, including a new 76mm gun. There's some corruption charges regarding the purchase:

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The two Type 22s, HMS London and HMS Coventry, were sailed to Constanta, Romania's Black Sea naval base, last year, after officials in the Ministry of Defence had done a deal with BAe. Britain's biggest arms company was paid £116m by Romania to refurbish them. But the British taxpayer only received scrap value, £100,000 each. The MoD's disposal agency says Romania could eventually pay more than £250m to fully equip the ships with new weapons and electronic systems.

 

[Finn McCool]

You have to be kidding - there's a Taiwan caucus in the US Congress (both houses) of considerable size.

I did not know that. I suppose that there is more interest on this issue in Congress then I thought. However I still can't see many congressmen getting worked up about it.

I also was pretty sure that orders for more AMRAAMs had gone through but I haven't been around here much lately so I forgot.