Taiwan:  Report Says Taipei Plans to Buy Patriot Missiles Quickly

A Taiwanese newspaper reported Friday that Taiwan is hastening the purchase of more than $3 billion in U.S. missile defense equipment, according to Agence France-Presse (see GSN, March 11).

The $3.16 billion deal would include two long-range radar systems, six Patriot Advanced Capability 3 missile systems, and upgrades for three PAC-2 missile systems, according to Taipei’s United Daily News.

The reported decision to speed the procurement took place as the U.S. Defense Department’s chief of Asia Pacific security affairs visited Taipei.  Mary Tighe is the highest-ranking U.S. military official to visit Taiwan since 1979, according to the United Daily News (Agence France-Presse, March 14).

Taiwanese defense officials, however, denied the report as speculative and said the military has a 10-year plan to acquire missile defense equipment.

“We have formulated a priority list and will carry out all procurement projects according to our own schedule.  There are no problems with any acceleration or postponement of arms procurement,” a statement from the Ministry of National Defense said (Taipei Times, March 15).

Back to top

U.S. Plans:  Mount Missile Defenses on Flatbed Ships, Hunter Says

U.S. House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) yesterday said the Defense Department should investigate mounting missile defense systems on flatbed ships to protect from sea-based missile attacks on the United States (see GSN, Feb. 27).

To defend against a “tramp freighter” armed with a Scud missile, Defense could deploy a “flatbed ship with a missile defense system bolted on it,” Hunter said.

The Pentagon is using the Aegis missile defense warning system, mounted on cruisers, to develop sea-based missile defenses for deployment worldwide.  Hunter suggested, however, that something less expensive and “less complete” than the Aegis system could be more applicable to static coastline defense.

Hunter made his suggestions at a committee hearing on U.S. military homeland defense activities.  Navy Adm. James Ellis, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, did not support or reject Hunter’s proposal but said “all options” are on the table for defending the United States from a missile attack.

Representatives also questioned the Strategic Command’s role in missile defense.  Ellis said the command “is not envisioned to pull the trigger” but would instead relay information on incoming missiles to regional combat commanders or, if the attack is against the United States, to the head of the U.S. Northern Command.  The information would then be sent to the missile system operators.

Representative Terry Everett (R-Ala.) said that the information relay could cost crucial time in a missile attack (Marc Selinger, Aerospace Daily, March 14).

Back to top

U.S. Plans:  Lockheed Martin Receives $100 Million to Accelerate PAC-3 Production

The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command has awarded U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin $100 million to accelerate the production of the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 Missile, the company announced yesterday (see GSN, Dec. 4, 2002).  Lockheed Martin will produce an additional 12 PAC-3 missiles in fiscal 2003, in addition to the 88 missiles and related hardware the company was set to produce in fiscal 2003 under a contract awarded late last year (Lockheed Martin release, March 12).

Back to top

About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines

HOME  |  CONTACT US  |  GET INVOLVED  |  SITE MAP