Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) A US$655.4 million surveillance radar contract extension proposed by the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is aimed toward guaranteeing the efficiency of Taiwan’s Leshan Radar Station, which performed an essential position in detecting the 11 ballistic missiles fired by China into waters close to Taiwan in early August, in response to a supply in Taiwan’s navy with data of the matter.
The supply, talking on situation of anonymity, informed CNA that the contract extension was for Leshan Radar Station in Hsinchu County’s Wufeng Township, however declined to touch upon whether or not the package deal would contain upgrades to the station’s surveillance capabilities.
The Pentagon’s Protection Safety Cooperation Company Friday stated the proposed arms sale have been permitted by the U.S. State Division and delivered to the U.S. Congress for evaluation.
The contract extension is a part of a deliberate US$1.1 billion arms sale package deal to Taiwan, which additionally contains 60 AGM-84L Harpoon Block II missiles costing US$355 million and 100 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles costing NT$85.6 million, in response to the company.
Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an assistant professor at Tamkang College’s Graduate Institute of Worldwide Affairs and Strategic Research, stated that the radar proved efficient when it detected China had fired 11 Dongfeng ballistic missiles close to Taiwan as a part of navy workouts in early August, so it’s price watching whether or not upgrades will probably be carried out.
There are a selection of upgrades that might be launched to the radar system – for instance rising its vary, enhancing its computing pace, rising the utmost variety of targets it may possibly concurrently monitor, and enabling it to hyperlink to methods utilized by native or international navy items, thereby shortening its response time and boosting its accuracy, Lin stated.
In the meantime, Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), an analyst on the Institute for Nationwide Protection and Safety Analysis, stated the radar system on the Leshan station is an AN/FPS-115 Pave Paws system, which, because of the altitude at which it’s deployed, covers a protracted vary and has early warning capabilities, permitting it to detect and monitor China’s ballistic missiles.
Primarily based on the time it has been in service, the contract extension might entail the renewal of transceivers and software program upkeep, he stated.
The Leshan Radar Station is at an altitude of two,620 meters and might detect missiles fired inside a 5,000 km vary, in addition to monitor cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, drones and ships inside a 2,000 km vary.
On the proposed missile sale, Su stated the U.S. possible needs so as to add to Taiwan’s present stockpile of precision strike missiles to make up for the disparity in navy plane and ships between Taiwan and China.
Taiwan final bought harpoon missiles in 1993, and there are about 450 of them remaining, he stated.
Chieh Chung (揭仲), a analysis fellow on the Affiliation of Strategic Foresight, stated {that a} US$655.4 million radar upkeep challenge may appear costly, however with the Leshan radar system marking 10 years of service subsequent yr, a mid-life improve or procurement of substitute elements is so as.
Whereas the proposed arms sale don’t embody new weapons, it’s going to shorten the hole within the variety of precision strike missiles between Taiwan and China, thus bolstering Taiwan’s protection capabilities, he stated.
