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| East Asia | ||
| Taiwan holds massive wargames amid warnings of future Chinese threat | ||
| 2003-09-04 | ||
| Photos and slideshow at link Taiwan staged its biggest ever live-fire military wargames here, firing sophisticated missiles and mobilizing high-tech weaponry in a mock "invasion" by rival China. Remember - even if they help with NK (unforseen yet) - the bastards downed one of our planes in int’l waters and is NOT our friend The exercise, staged in the northeastern Ilan county and codenamed "Han Kuang 19" (Han Glory), was aimed at fully illustrating the defense capability of Taiwan’s armed forces, the defense ministry said on Thursday. demonstrating for the ChiCom’s benefit "The all-out defense forces in Ilan area are deployed to simulate the People’s Liberation Army’s tactics and operational schemes of cross-Strait operations," it said of the drill, which was televised live nationwide. Military officials said nearly all the modern weaponry Taiwan owns, including 44 jet fighters, was mobilized in the 110-minute drill, which involved 6,000 soldiers and was presided over by President Chen Shui-bian. China has repeatedly threatened to invade Taiwan should the island declare independence or indefinitely postpone reunification with the mainland. More modern than the Chicoms, and we need to keep it that way "The Chinese communists have actively expanded their military strength in recent years, striving to develop the projection capabilities of their navy and air force ... accordingly posing a serious threat to our national security," Chen said. He warned that, should a war break out, the People’s Liberation Army would use high-tech weaponry and launch blitzes to paralyze Taiwan’s military commands, bunkers and major government establishments. The military found two spy ships near the site of the maneuver, one each from China and Japan, forcing it to abandon plans to fire a French-made Mica long-range air-to-air missile from a Mirage fighter. "The enemy have been trying everything they can to collect the electronic factors of our weaponry," Army General Hu Chen-pu told reporters. "We should not expose the crucial information... It was for this reason, we had to cancel the firing of Mica missile."
Coool Analysts said the boat, designed to reduce the reflection of radar waves, may be able to "passively" receive intelligence collected by other Taiwan warships, enabling the fleet to launch missile blitzes against enemy warships without exposing their location. Each missile boat will be armed with four Hsiungfeng II missiles. The navy plans to build 30 such missile boats under the "Kuanghwa Six Project". Taiwan’s defense ministry warned last week that China would be capable of mounting a successful attack on Taiwan after 2008 if the island did not strengthen its defensive capabilities. | ||
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #1 I would not want to be conducting an opposed amphibious landing on Taiwan with the Chinese Navy backing me up. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-9-4 8:11:39 PM |