Article

2005-07-17 China-Japan-Koreas

Did North Korea try to sell missiles to Taiwan?

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2005-07-17 15:42|| || Front Page|| [11145 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 ...Well, they've had the mini-subs for years, the SKors captured one some years back, and at least a few have been sunk trying to infiltrate. The stealth uniforms...I dunno, that sounds like its right up there with the JDAM jammers the Russians sold Saddam.
But selling stuff to Taiwan? ABSOLUTELY believeable.

Mike

Posted by Mike Kozlowski 2005-07-17 16:00|| 2005-07-17 16:00|| Front Page Top

#2 What kind of missile is the key question: Manpads, anti-tank missiles, RPGs, or SCUDs? I would believe nK offered to sell Taiwan knockoffs of ex-soviet tactical weapons. I'm sure they also mentioned their little sideline in SSMs, but the Taiwanese probably hastily declined...not that they probably weren't interested, but they wouldn't want to piss off the US.

Posted by Scotty 2005-07-17 17:12|| 2005-07-17 17:12|| Front Page Top

#3 Why buy cheap NKor knock-offs of the original V-2 when you can buy American and get the best? Can't imagine that the Taiwanese are incapable of putting together a splendid tactical missile with a range of up to 500 km if they need it, whether they buy a turnkey system or assemble it from parts.

Posted by Steve White">Steve White 2005-07-17 19:31|| 2005-07-17 19:31|| Front Page Top

#4 "...visited Taiwan to sell North Korean-built missiles..."
Smells like disinformation. Kim Il-do, or someone else, is trying to damage North Korea's relationship with China.

Posted by Neutron Tom 2005-07-17 19:42|| 2005-07-17 19:42|| Front Page Top

#5 Steve, we've avoided in the past giving the Taiwanese "offensive" weapons. When we helped them with the FC-1 fighter it was under the understanding that it was to be a defensive system, and it was designed accordingly, as a short-range low-speed interceptor. (Then the mainlanders bought Su-27's...)

They could build surface-to-surface missiles out of their patriot-clones, putting a different warhead and guidance system on the same solid rocket motor... and they _have_ started building improved cruise missiles based on a heavily-modified harpoon clone. But those are smaller in scale and seen more as anti-shipping weapons.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-07-17 21:01|| http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com]">[http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2005-07-17 21:01|| Front Page Top

#6 I remember that Chaing Ching Guo responded to Carter's China moves by making some sort of moves toward the USSR so this would not surprise me.

Actually buying more than demo qtys of anything might surprise me.

Posted by 3dc 2005-07-17 21:17|| 2005-07-17 21:17|| Front Page Top

#7 ...someone else, is trying to damage North Korea's relationship with China.
Karl Rove is at it again! First he destroyed the New York Times credibility, then CBS, now this!! Is there ANYTHING the man can't destroy?!?!?!
(/sarcasm)

Posted by mmurray821 2005-07-17 22:05|| 2005-07-17 22:05|| Front Page Top

#8 " . . . stealth uniforms that were difficult to detect on radar . . ."

I've figured out their secret! The soldiers in the uniforms have been starved so much that when they turn sideways, they're invisible to radar.

Posted by Tibor 2005-07-17 23:56|| 2005-07-17 23:56|| Front Page Top

23:56 Tibor
23:56 trailing wife
23:52 trailing wife
23:45 MunkarKat
23:45 trailing wife
23:20 Red Dog
23:17 3dc
23:16 3dc
23:15 bigjim-ky
23:09 MunkarKat
22:44 AzCat
22:36 Frank G
22:35 Bobby
22:22 Fred
22:14 C-Low
22:14 Bobby
22:11 Frank G
22:06 Whiskey Mike
22:05 mmurray821
22:00 mmurray821
22:00 AzCat
21:52 OldSpook
21:31 Phil Fraering
21:22 mhw