Taiwan Military

The Ministry of National Defense said it would stick to a plan to buy 120 US-made M1A1 Abrams tanks in an estimated NT$33 billion (US$1.08 billion) deal.
The Republic of China (ROC) Army Command Headquarters Office said the program’s budget allocation would be made in 2017, with delivery expected to begin in 2020.

The army plans to purchase 120 second-hand M1A1 tanks from the US military to replace Taiwan’s aging M60A3 and CM-11 “Brave Tiger” main battle tanks and bolster infantry divisions’ combat strength.

Upon delivery, the 120 tanks are to constitute two battalions for deployment at the main ROC infantry base in Hsinchu County’s Hukou Township (湖口), which is tasked with the defense of the capital, Taipei, and northern Taiwan, army officials said.
The original plan was to buy the newer M1A2 tank, which has enhanced electronics and weapons control systems, but it came at a higher price tag, officials said.

The ministry elected to go with M1A1s for the estimated expense of NT$33 billion.
Officials said this follows the path taken by Australia, which upgraded its infantry with second-hand M1A1 tanks that had been kept in storage.

The US performed complete performance tests and systems checks before delivery, it added.

Werewolf wrote:Corruption at its finest 9 mln per mediocre outdated tanks of M1A1 models... you could achieve more tanks with less money and far higher combat effeciency with Leopard 2A4 or T-72B3's not to mention ZTZ-96 variants. Not including the cripplying of logistics and budgets that need to be granted for logistics. That is just a sinkhole...

Algeria to assemble 200 T-90 tanks
Algeria has signed a contract for the license assembly of around 200 T-90 main battle tanks with Russian arms exporting firm Rosoboronexport.

According to Moscow Defence Brief, the deal, signed last year, is worth around $1 billion. Russian business newspaper Vedomosti, quoting defence sources, on Friday said that this follows on a contract for the delivery of 185 T-90S tanks, delivered between 2006 and 2008 in a deal worth $1 billion. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), another 120 T-90S tanks were delivered between 2012 and 2013 under a 2011 deal worth $470 million.

Taiwan unveils indigenous next-generation assault rifle


The gold-plated XT-105 rifle on display at Kaoshiung's Armament Bureau, June 4. (Photo/Chen Chen-tang)

The ROC Armed Forces on Thursday unveiled a next-generation assault rifle developed by the Armament Bureau's 205th Armory.

The gold-plated model XT-105 rifle that was displayed at a press event in Kaohsiung was the first off the production line since the 205th Armory started working on the development of the weapon in 2012.

The rifle is designed to meet the stringent tactical requirements of modern urban warfare, counter terrorism and close quarters combat, the armory said.

Dubbed as a multi-utilization special rifle (MSR), the 5.56 x 45mm weapon is designed for versatility as it can be fitted with barrels of three different lengths–300mm, 360mm, and 450mm.

It can also be outfitted with attachments, sights, and optical scopes without the need for additional gun mounts and railing systems.

The weapon ejects spent shells forward on the right so that there is no danger of burns to the operator.

The next-generation weapon features high accuracy and low recoil, an ambidextrous design, and a collapsible stock for easy handling.

The weapon also forgoes the three-round burst firing mode, allowing for a more manageable fully automatic mode at lower rate of fire.

Although the 205th Armory declined to give any details, it said it may consider export of the X105, which can be customized to buyers' needs.

The 205th Armory also showcased the XT-104, a 9mm sub-machine gun with low recoil that can be easily operated even by novices, the K1 pistol with a laser-guided sight, and a close quarters combat version of the armed forces' mainstay T-91 rifle, with a shorter barrel.

The 205th Armory traces its roots back to the Qing Dynasty, when it was known as the Suzhou Western Artillery Bureau under imperial rule. It was moved to Kaohsiung as part of the retreat to Taiwan in 1949 after the Nationalists were defeated by Communist forces in the Chinese Civil War.

Since then, the 205th Armory has developed a number of weapons for the ROC Armed Forces including the mainstay T65 and T91 assault rifles, the T-75 20mm cannon, and various other small arms.

Three suspects ordered detained in Clouded Leopard scandal
By Matthew Strong

PEI (Taiwan News) – The Taichung District Court approved the detention of three suspects Friday in the scandal surrounding the supply of substandard parts for the “Clouded Leopard” Taiwan Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
The investigation centers on the production of substandard elements, some of them in China, for the CM-32 Clouded Leopard armored vehicles, which are made in Taiwan.

C&F Technology chief Hsu Ching-shun, Yi Rong Technology Co. chief Chang Kuang-ming and military employee Lee Ti-kuang had seen their detention approved by the Taichung District Court.

The highest amount of bail was the NT$5 million (US$161,500) set for Chiang Yi-fu, the chairman of Chung Hsin Electric and Machinery Manufacturing Corporation, reports said. A further dozen military officials and business people had seen their bail set inside a range from NT$200,000 (US$6,460) to NT$2 million, reports said. The list included four people whom prosecutors had requested to be detained.

Lee reportedly accepted payments in return for approving the use of faulty systems in the manufacturing of the Clouded Leopard which could cause fuel leakages and problems with the brakes, reports said. Hsu reportedly supplied some of the substandard parts and paid off military officials.

The fate of at least three top managers at Chung Hsin was still being discussed by the court, but barely a day after the company’s offices had been raided in connection with the armored vehicles, they were inspected again Friday in a completely unrelated case.

Investigators reportedly visited Chung Hsin and four other companies listed on the stock market for alleged irregularities in the project for the athletes’ village for the 2017 Universiade Games in Taipei.

Weapons institute releases new video to be aired at Paris show
Taipei, June 10 (CNA) The Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), Taiwan's main weapons research and development unit, will screen a video of locally developed weapons and other military systems, alongside the actual hardware display, at the Paris Air Show later this month. The video, released earlier this week, highlights the features of the Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile and the Tien Kung III surface-to-air missile, which were developed by the CSIST.

The video also explains the institute's role in an international space project called AMS-02 (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer-02) that is seeking to gather data about the origins of the universe.

Produced by CSIST, the video is one of three that will be screened at the Paris Air Show and were posted recently on the institute's website. One of the videos focuses on the CSIST's surface-to-air Tien Chien (Sky Sword) II mid-range missile, revealing its details for the first time. The aim of screening the videos at the Paris show is to promote Taiwan's achievements in defense technology and other areas, the CSIST said.

More than 2,200 exhibitors from more than 40 countries are expected to participate in the biennial Paris Air Show, according to its website. The CSIST, which was once under the Defense Ministry, was corporatized in April 2014.

(By Lu Hsin-hui and Elaine Hou)

Taiwan marks Japan’s WWII defeat with military parade
HSINCHU, July 4 — War veterans gathered today for Taiwan’s first military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Japan in World War II, as the island vies with China over the history of the conflict.

Jet fighters and attack helicopters were among aircraft that flew past in formation as President Ma Ying-jeou spoke to the thousands gathered in the northern Hsinchu county on the nationalist Kuomintang government’s role in the conflict.

The crowd applauded as jeeps carrying more than 20 veterans, displaying victory signs, paraded alongside trucks carrying ground troops and missiles, as well as tanks.

“There was only one truth: the war battling Japan was mostly conducted by the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan’s official title), thanks to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek,” Ma said.

“This must not be distorted and tampered. We do not want to boast about the victory, but rather we want to prevent war... Only in this way can we learn the lesson from history.”

Japan invaded China in 1937 and the two countries fought a full-scale war until Japan was defeated in 1945, during which 3.2 million Kuomintang soldiers died, according to Taiwanese government figures.

The country’s first parade to commemorate the defeat of Japan comes as Taiwan’s ruling Kuomintang party fears Beijing is trying to give full credit for the victory to Mao Zedong’s communist forces.

But the plans sparked criticism from the radical anti-China opposition Taiwan Solidarity Union, which urged the government to do more to support the military in practical terms rather than organise memorial events.

Veterans, however, expressed their pleasure at having been invited to take part.

Hsu Ming-teh, a former navy officer wearing a dark blue uniform decorated with a belatedly awarded national medal, was among more than 130 veterans at the ceremony.

“I’m really happy,” he said, but added, “this would have been better if it were held 20 years ago, or half a century since the victory against Japan.”

A fleet of 64 jet fighters, attack helicopters and utility aircraft flew low over the Hukou base while two newly-acquired Apache attack helicopters swooped and looped.

Japan’s de facto ambassador to Taipei was absent from the military event. Sources familiar with the matter said the envoy declined to attend while claiming he had not received the invitation from the Taiwanese government.

Tokyo switched its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1972.

The Kuomintang government fled the mainland for Taiwan after their troops were crushed by the Chinese communist forces in 1949, at the end of a civil war in China.

Since Ma of the Kuomintang came to power on the island in 2008 with the promise of beefing up trade and tourism links, China has admitted the party contributed in the fight. — AFP

Video: A Chinese military drill simulates an attack on Taiwan’s presidential office

China has always said that it would meet a declaration of independence from Taiwan with a military invasion of the island, which it considers a rogue province. That promise started to look a bit more real recently, with an official video of a People’s Liberation Army exercise, showing a raid on a building that looks strikingly like the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.

The video—which aired July 5 on CCTV, China’s state-run news broadcaster—shows tanks firing and guns blazing in the PLA’s annual Stride-Zhurihe live-fire exercise held in Inner Mongolia.

Stills from the CCTV video show that the similarities with the presidential office (above) are hard to miss:

TAIPEI: Taiwan unveiled the prototype of its largest ever military drone on Wednesday (Aug 12) as it seeks to boost its defence forces in the face of a perceived threat from China.

The sleek, white unmanned aircraft is designed for intelligence gathering and surveillance missions, according to the National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), an arm of the Ministry of National Defence that is developing the drone.

It is more than twice the size of any of the existing fleet of 32 "Sharp Kite" drones used by Taiwanese forces.

"Our research and development capabilities are definitely not inferior (to China's)," said Ma Wan-june, director of the aeronautical systems research division at CSIST.

Ma did not say when the prototype is to be put into use or give any further specifications.

"It's equipped for automatic takeoff and landing, communications, optical detection, among others," Ma said.

The drone was shown to reporters ahead of the biennial Taipei Aerospace and Defence Technology Exhibition which starts Thursday and is open to the public.

Taiwan in December launched its largest ever missile ship, the 500-tonne corvette named "Tuo Chiang" - the first of its kind to be produced locally.

The ship is armed with 16 missiles including eight supersonic Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) anti-ship missiles.

Self-governing Taiwan split from mainland China in 1949 after a civil war. But Beijing still sees the island as part of its territory and does not rule out force to achieve reunification at some stage.

According to Taiwan's defense ministry, China has more than 1,500 ballistic and cruise missiles trained on the island.

- AFP/ec

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) The military will showcase an array of locally developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and various kinds of weaponry, including missile and rocket systems, at an upcoming defense technology exhibition in Taipei.

A total of 89 types of items will go on display at the Ministry of National Defense pavilion at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition, which will run Aug. 13-16, ministry officials said at a news conference Wednesday.

One of the recently developed systems is a large drone developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology's Aeronautical Systems Research Division. The institute is Taiwan's main weapons research and development unit.

"It is the latest UAV developed by our division," Ma Wan-june (馬萬鈞), director of the division, told reporters. It is the first time the aircraft has been revealed to the public, he added.

While it is still in a stage of testing, Ma touted the drone's capabilities of automatic takeoff and landing and aerial communication relaying.

It is also equipped with a platform for medium altitude, long endurance and multiple payloads, but Ma declined to divulge specifics such as its range, length and weight, saying that it is still in the testing stage.

The craft is designed for day and night missions such as intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance, environmental research and coastal patrols, according to information provided by the ministry.

Among the other exhibits is the Sea Oryx missile system, also developed by the institute.

The Sea Oryx missile system is designed for intercepting anti-ship missiles and each launcher is allocated eight or 16 Sea Oryx missiles, the institute said.

"The missile system will likely be deployed on small and medium-sized naval vessels," said the institute's Yen Shih-jui (嚴世銳).

The institute is also showcasing the Steel Ball High Explosive Rocket System, which is designed for anti-landing operations. With a range of 1.2 kilometers, the weapon can help reduce demand for defense manpower and offer better protection for military personnel, said Chen Chun-ho (陳俊和), also from the institute.

The military's pavilion features four categories: advanced systems, simulators, research and development, and a recruiting center.

Also on display will be the Navy's stealth missile corvette Tuo Jiang (沱江) and the supply vessel the Panshih (磐石), both commissioned into service in March, as well as the Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles.

The biennial Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition brings together businesses from all over the world displaying a range of aerospace products, navigation systems, precision machine tools and other equipment.

This year's event draws more than 100 exhibitors from home and abroad, according to the organizer, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.

(By Elaine Hou)
ENDITEM/J

In the next year is expected to be fully retired, passing on the baton to the P-3C's S-2T anti-submarine aircraft, in addition to impressive painting for the original allows carriers equipped with demand, but also have a different design.

On Taiwan’s presidential election trail, DPP presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen was at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition on Thursday to build up her military credentials and talk about military policy. The KMT’s Hung Hsiu-chu attended a rally in Taoyuan. Tsai Ing-wen took hold of a monitor to experience a live-fire simulation.

She was also briefed by the head of the Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology on the military’s weapons and new unmanned aerial vehicles in the pipeline. It was as though she was preparing for her future job as commander-in-chief, and photographers scrambled to get pictures.

After her visit, Tsai talked about her military policy.Tsai Ing-wenDPP ChairwomanIf the DPP returns to power next year, we will continue to invest, continue to encourage the development of the defense industry.

We have three priorities. One is aerospace, one is ships and the third is information security. As for the KMT’s presidential nominee Hung Hsiu-chu, she headed a campaign rally in Zhongli in Taoyuan and was joined by all six of the city’s incumbent pan-blue lawmakers, forging a sense of unity.

While the Republic of China Navy (RoCN) had a relatively modest presence at the biennial Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), held from 13 to 16 August, it nevertheless took the opportunity to showcase some of its latest naval platforms in model form to visitors.

One of the highlights was a scale presentation of Tuo Jiang (pennant number 618): the service's newest surface combat asset assigned to the 131st Flotilla at Keelung. The vessel was handed over by shipbuilder Lung Teh Shipbuilding Company in December 2014 and subsequently commissioned in March 2015.

Official specifications released by the RoCN at TADTE 2015 state that the stealthy aluminium-hulled corvette - which features a wave-piercing catamaran hull form and a low radar cross-section (RCS) design - is 60.4 m long, 14 m wide, and has a draft of 2.3 m. The vessel displaces 567 tonnes at full combat load and is crewed by 41 personnel, including officers.

Propulsion is by a quad waterjet array with two waterjets fitted to each hull. While the RoCN declined to disclose their type, Sweden's MJP (Marine Jet Power) - which has worked with Lung Teh on several ship development programmes - revealed in a January 2014 announcement that the service had chosen its MJP CSU (Compact Steering Unit) 850 system, which according to MJP literature generates 7,935 bhp (5,917 kW) and is also used in the Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration's 65.1 m long, 500-tonne-class 720GT patrol ship. These waterjets enable Tuo Jiang to reach a stated maximum speed of 43 kt.

The ship's principal offensive capabilities come from its array of 16 indigenously developed anti-ship missiles housed amidships in raised launchers. These comprise the turbofan-powered Hsiung Feng (Brave Wind) II and the ramjet-powered Hsiung Feng III, the latter being dubbed the 'carrier killer' by its developer, Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), during the 2011 iteration of TADTE. According to IHS Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems , the subsonic Hsiung Feng II is equipped with a 225 kg high-explosive (HE) semi-armour-piercing warhead and has a range of 81 n miles, while the supersonic Hsiung Feng III packs a 120 kg HE warhead and can engage targets up to 70.2 n miles away. It is known that extended-range variants of the Hsiung Feng II have been developed, but neither the RoCN nor CSIST would be drawn on whether these improved systems have been installed on Tuo Jiang .

Besides its anti-ship missiles, Tuo Jiang is armed with a 76 mm Oto Melara main gun. As well, two triple torpedo tubes enable it to engage in anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions, while a stern-mounted Raytheon 20 mm Vulcan Phalanx close-in weapon system (CIWS) and four 12.7 mm machine guns provides point defence against missiles and small surface targets. Chaff dispensers mounted on the vessel's fore and aft sections improve its survivability against infrared- and radar-guided anti-ship missiles.

An RoCN official told IHS Jane's that the rear deck of Tuo Jiang is a multimission payload bay designed to accommodate up to two 20 ft (6.1 m) ISO-standard mission module containers, although the service is still deliberating on the type of systems to integrate onto the vessel.

"We are not ready to discuss what these modules will be as we are still trying to understand the capabilities and limitations of this new ship," he said. "However, we can essentially configure [it] to perform a wide range of missions such as mine countermeasures if deemed necessary."

IHS Jane's was also briefed on the other features of the vessel, which include mission bays in the rear of each hull. A towed sonar array is currently deployed from the port mission bay, while an overhead boom extends from the starboard bay to launch and recover a 6 m rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB).

With up to 12 stealth missile corvettes potentially being acquired under the TWD24.98 billion (USD801 million) Hsun Hai (Swift Sea) programme, data accumulated from ongoing evaluations of Tuo Jiang will influence the development as well as refinements to the follow-on vessels in the class.

Moreover, new technologies, such as the Sea Oryx surface-to-air missile (SAM) system and the navalised Tien Chien II air defence missile developed by CSIST, could potentially be incorporated onto subsequent Tuo Jiang-class vessels. Computer-generated video footage of the missile corvette employing both missile systems debuted at TADTE 2015, depicting a successful defence of the ship against multiple anti-ship missiles as well as the destruction of their launch platforms.

The Sea Oryx SAM is primarily designed to intercept anti-ship missiles, low-flying aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Employing either an eight-round or 16-round missile canister, the system launches a navalised and upgraded variant of the short-range Tien Chien I (Sky Sword I) air defence missile carried by the Taiwanese air force's Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) and the army's mobile ground-based Antelope air defence system. The navalised missile, however, features a new imaging infrared (IIR) seeker, an enhanced rocket motor, as well as folding control and stabilising fins. While the Sea Oryx SAM system is still under development, CSIST is offering it as a potential upgrade for the gun-based CIWS fitted on Tuo Jiang as well as other RoCN major surface combatants.

CSIST is also pushing a navalised variant of the radar-guided Tien Chien II air defence missile as an option for the Tuo Jiang class. Designed to engage airborne and missile targets at ranges beyond the naval Tien Chien I missile, the Tien Chien IIN has been upgraded with a rocket booster and thrust vector controller for extended range and increased manoeuvrability. Official performance data of the navalised missiles were not disclosed, but IHS Jane's Weapons: Naval notes that the Tien Chien IIN could have a maximum range of 21.5 n miles.