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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Taiwan's Nuclear Missiles |
| 2006-06-26 |
| June 26, 2006: For over three years, there have been rumors that Taiwan is developing ballistic missiles, and nuclear weapons. Called the Tiching Project, it is said to be using technology used for an earlier ballistic missile program. In the 1990s, technical problems and expense convinced Taiwan to halt their Sky Horse ballistic missile program. The reasoning was that, in addition to the expense, such a program would only anger the Chinese, and that, in any event, the United States would provide Taiwan with protection from an invasion. The official cancellation of the program in 2000 was apparently not final. The Tiching Project is believed to be developing two missiles. One is a two stage, solid fuel missile, with a thousand kilometer range, carrying a 700 pound warhead. The other missile would just use the first stage, have a range of about 300 kilometers and the same size warhead. The short range version of the missile is believed to have been tested already. The nuclear weapons program has long been rumored. As long ago as the 1970s, the CIA declared that Taiwan could build nuclear weapons within five years. Since then, the time required has shrunk. Actually, the high quality of Taiwan's industrial and scientific capabilities indicates that nuclear weapons may already exist, but remain untested. Naturally, Taiwan has good reason to keep all this sort of stuff secret. If they openly admitted to owning ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, China might, because of constant threats to "return Taiwan to Chinese control", feel compelled to do something drastic, and immediately. But ultimately, Taiwanese nuclear weapons, delivered by ballistic missiles, could provide the cheapest and most effective defense against Chinese invasion. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #14 Iff the anti-US, pro-OWG DEMOLEFIES > Dubya is a Nixon waiting for a Watergate, andor a Kennedy waiting for an Radical Muslim Oswald, dare HILLARY = JIMBO CARTER, heralding in an unprecedented period of Amer-specific unilateral geopol concessions and weakness in favor of Amer's enemies??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-06-26 21:23 |
| #13 That odd sort of scritching sound you hear coming from the Far East is the sound of Mandarin sphincters tightening. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-06-26 17:42 |
| #12 Walt, Ima hear 8 inch shell and it was the 4th test.... The Vela saw it through a break in the clouds. |
| Posted by: 6 2006-06-26 17:01 |
| #11 Problem is they don't have an unsafeguarded reactor to produce plutonium, tritium or lithium deuteride. To deter China with a countervalue strategy probably requires the threatened destruction of say, the five largest Chinese cities. A 700 kg TN warhead might be 300 kT. Assume 3 warheads per city, assume 1/2 will get through the Chinese S-300 BMD defences. That is 6 warheads per city .. 30 nukes .. 180kg of Plutonium for the weapon primaries and 150 kg of HEU for the secondaries. |
| Posted by: john 2006-06-26 15:58 |
| #10 Rumor was that the flash during the Carter admin was 1/3 Israel, 1/3 South Africa and 1/3 Taiwan. Flash was suppose to be a neutron bomb. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-06-26 15:24 |
| #9 TW and DB: Heh.™ :-D |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-06-26 14:15 |
| #8 All they really need is one with the range to hit Beijing. "Candygram for Mister Hu Jintao!" |
| Posted by: Mike 2006-06-26 14:04 |
| #7 Psyop to show the Chinese our point of view on the Norks... or maybe not. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-06-26 12:55 |
| #6 mmmm... Taiwan nukes. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to see them tweaking China's tail. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2006-06-26 12:20 |
| #5 You know, you could put somebody's eye out with that thing! |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-06-26 11:51 |
| #4 I wonder if they have a nuclear device delivery system that would place a device underwater at the downstream end of a 600 km lake...... |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-06-26 11:26 |
| #3 The type of nuclear weapon they might have is just as important. A groundburst munition used for infrastructure destruction and fallout, but with a narrower hazard area for blast, heat and radiation; or an airburst, that destroys less on the ground, but covers a much larger area, targetting large concentrations in the open. The trouble in either case is both that mainland China is a very big place, thus requiring a LOT of nukes to be an effective deterrent; and also that Taiwan most likely is ill-equipped to defend its own people from nuclear retaliation. This would mean that Taiwan would also most likely have a double-secret ABM program, not willing to rely on US Aegis ABM protection. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-06-26 11:20 |
| #2 I chortled a bit myself. Wonder if it's true. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2006-06-26 11:15 |
| #1 Would it be wrong of me to snicker? |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-26 11:10 |