Taiwan

Taiwan’s Red Bird Express Service, Rain or Shine

By Wendell Minnick in Intercepts Tags: , , , , ,

A Taiwan military official told Defense News that a decision to disguise army vehicles as a commercial delivery service, covert cover for road-mobile Hsiung Feng 2E land-attack cruise missile batteries, is “idiotic” and “embarrassing.”

The photograph shows a command post vehicle for the Hsiung Feng 2E painted with the Chinese words “Red Bird” express service. Whether “red” is a reference to Communist China, the obvious target of the missile, is unclear.

Photographs of the new vehicles at a Taiwan army base were posted on the website Hojiyi on January 20.

Rapid Runway Repairs for Taiwan

By Wendell Minnick in Intercepts Tags: , , ,

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has awarded Rapid Runway Repair, Inc., Delhi, La., a $13 million contract to supply the Taiwan Air Force with fiberglass mat rapid runway kits. The announcement was made December 27.

Work to be completed by June 30, 2014. AFLCMC/WFG,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity.

This is not the first procurement by Taiwan’s Air Force of these types of kits. In May 2010, Hualien Airbase personnel demonstrated the use of a rapid runway repair system it had procured from U.S.-based Colt Rapid Mat in 2002 for $43 million.

The kits were procured to repair runways quickly after an aerial bombardment from China. China has 1,500 Dong Feng 11/15 short-range ballistic missiles targeting the island.

It is unclear how many rapid runway kits Taiwan has procured.

Taiwan and China Move Closer to Peace Accord?

By Wendell Minnick in Intercepts Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Local news reports indicate China is pushing Taiwan harder on a peace accord that would abolish any attempt by Taiwan “secessionists” to abandon unification and declare independence. However, unless China reduces and/or eliminates the 1,500 short-range ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan, any deal looks unlikely.

According to the Talk of the Day, as reported by the Central News Agency, China is pushing beyond the dozen or so economic and trade agreements signed since 2008 to something more political in nature.

Sun Ya-fu, deputy director of the Taiwan Affairs Office under China’s State Council, publicly urged the two sides at a seminar on December 15 in Taipei to sign a peace accord to “jointly share the duty and obligation of avoiding national secession.”

Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Deputy Minister Chang Hsien-yao responded by urging China to treat the existence of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in a “pragmatic manner.”

Costs Skyrocket for Taiwan’s Early Warning Radar

By Wendell Minnick in Intercepts Tags: , , , ,


The price for further maintenance of Taiwan’s sole early warning radar (EWR) program just went through the roof. The Pentagon announced an additional maintenance contract on December 7 worth a whopping $290 million. Given the fact that the original price for construction of the EWR on Taiwan’s west coast was only $800 million, Taiwan legislators have already complained bitterly of extensive overruns hitting $1.23 billion.

The Raytheon built facility is designed to warn of an initial missile and air strike from China, which is aiming 1,500 short-range ballistic missiles at Taiwan.

The construction of the radar facility was delayed by mudslides on Leshan Mountain and further unspecified delays pushed costs up. The additional increase will no doubt upset many within Taiwan’s legislature and military who have been pushing for an increase in the defense budget to cover costs of paying for $18 billion worth of arms procured from the U.S. since 2007.  More

Annual Taiwan Arms Report Released

By Wendell Minnick in Intercepts Tags: , , ,

Shirley Kan’s annual report on Taiwan arms sales was released November 29. Written under the auspices of the Congressional Research Service, Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990 discusses U.S. security assistance to Taiwan, or Republic of China (ROC), including policy issues for Congress and legislation. Congress has oversight of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), P.L. 96-8, which has governed arms sales to Taiwan since 1979, when the United States recognized the People’s Republic of China (PRC) instead of the ROC. Two other relevant parts of the “one China” policy are the August 17, 1982, U.S.-PRC Joint Communique and the “Six Assurances” to Taiwan. U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have been significant. The United States also expanded military ties with Taiwan after the PRC’s missile firings in 1995-1996. However, the U.S.-ROC Mutual Defense Treaty terminated in 1979.

Kidd-class destroyer KEELUNG (1801), the former USS SCOTT (DDG 995). Taiwan procured all four of the Kidd-class ships from the U.S. in 2003. (Photo: Wendell Minnick)

Photo of the Day: Sept. 26 2012

By Zachary Fryer-Biggs in Intercepts, Photo of the Day Tags: , , , ,

A Japan Coast Guard vessel (lower) sprays water against Taiwanese fishing boats in the East China Sea near the Senkaku Islands on Sept. 25 // YOMIURI SHIMBUN/AFP/GettyImages

About 40 Taiwanese fishing vessels sped into disputed waters in the East China sea, part of an ongoing row over the ownership of uninhabited islands in the region.  The Japanese Coast Guard used water cannons to deter the approaching vessels.  The Japanese government said that all of the fishing boats had been turned away.

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