WAR CHINA THREATENS TO INVADE TAIWAN

Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
Housecarl said:
IMHO, the only thing that is going to "chill out" Xi et al will be "new management" in the District of Columbia that will be so hard nosed and old school as to be mistaken for an early Plantagenet or earlier purple wearing hard case.
Click to expand...
Not Bi-Bi-Bi-Bidan? (snark)

(apologies to Cladius who actually had brains, but also had a speech impediment that made people think he was stupid - he also took Britannia in a few weeks mostly by studying books on military tactics and putting them to good use).
 
jward

jward

passin' thru

China Holds Assault Drills Near Southern Taiwan
By Nicole Hao
August 18, 2021 Updated: August 18, 2021​


China carried out assault drills near Taiwan on Aug. 17, with fighter jets, anti-submarine aircraft, and combat ships exercising off the southwest and southeast of the island in what the country’s armed forces said was a response to “external interference.”
In a brief statement that was released on Tuesday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command said the drills were “using actual troops,” and “recent U.S.–Taiwan provocations … severely violated the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
Taiwan, which is a de facto independent country but one that the Chinese regime claims as its own, has complained of repeated Chinese military drills in its vicinity in the past two years or so, as part of a pressure campaign to force the island to accept China’s sovereignty.

The assault drills are different from those carried out as a matter of routine by the PLA. Tuesday’s drills were held near Taiwan’s southwestern and southeastern waters, in both the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea, and the Bashi Channel that connects the two seas, according to the PLA’s statement.
“It’s special and rare that the PLA performs a military exercise in both seas. In the military sense, the PLA wants to show that it can cut the U.S. Navy’s transportation line via the Bashi Channel to the South China Sea [from the Philippine Sea],” Su Tzu-yun, director of the Defense Strategy and Resources Division of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taiwan, told The Epoch Times on Aug. 17. “[The drills are] indeed a threat to Taiwan.”
Epoch Times Photo A Chinese H-6K bomber patrols the islands and reefs in the South China Sea, in this file photo. (Liu Rui/Xinhua via AP) Assault Drills
The PLA suddenly announced the drills but didn’t give details. The Taiwan side closely monitored the drills and released related information.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said on its official website that 11 PLA aircraft entered Taiwanese air defense zone on Tuesday, including six J-16 fighters, two H-6K bombers, one Y-8Q anti-submarine aircraft, one Y-8G long-distance jammer, and one KJ-500 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The ministry said in a statement that it had fully grasped and assessed the situation in the sea and air, “and is prepared for various responses.”
f-35 plane crashes in south carolina An F-35 jet arrives at its new operational base at Hill Air Force Base, in northern Utah on Sept. 2, 2015. (Rick Bowmer/AP Photo) ‘Provocations’
The United States Congress enacted the Taiwan Relations Act on April 10, 1979 to support Taiwan in deference to Beijing.
The “provocations” that the PLA claimed in its statement on Aug. 17 might include a meeting that was held last week, in which officers from the U.S. and Taiwanese coast guards discussed improving cooperation and communication.
On Aug. 4, the U.S. State Department approved a sale of $750 million worth of military equipment to Taiwan, which includes 40 self-propelled howitzers, 20 field artillery ammunition support vehicles, and other equipment. This also angered Beijing.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Nicole Hao


Nicole Hao is a Washington-based reporter focused on China-related topics. Before joining the Epoch Media Group in July 2009, she worked as a global product manager for a railway business in Paris, France.
www.theepochtimes.com

China Holds Assault Drills Near Southern Taiwan

www.theepochtimes.com www.theepochtimes.com
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
US Will Learn Lesson From Afghanistan and Bolster Support for Taiwan, Expert Says​


By Frank Fang​
Updated: August 20, 2021
​

The United States will likely come to the aid of Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion, one expert says, pushing back against recent suggestions by Beijing’s propaganda that the self-ruled island would meet the same fate as Afghanistan if it continues to be dependent on Washington.
Since the Taliban had swiftly seized control of Afghanistan, two weeks before the U.S. forces’ scheduled withdrawal from the country, Chinese state media has capitalized on the event for propaganda purposes, casting the United States as an unreliable ally of Taiwan.

Taiwan is a democratic island that Beijing claims as its own despite the former being governed as a distinct entity for decades.
China’s hawkish state-run media Global Times in the past days has taunted Taiwan with threats of war, claiming that Washington would leave the island in the lurch in case of a crisis, just like how it had “abandoned” Afghanistan.
Most recently, in an editorial published on Aug. 18, the outlet claimed that as China continues to strengthen, “there is no doubt the U.S. is doomed to eventually abandon Taiwan.”
Ian Easton, senior director at Virginia-based think tank the Project 2049 Institute, hit back at Beijing’s claims, saying that he doesn’t believe the United States would simply cast aside Taiwan.
“I don’t think that’s a narrative that is actually in touch with the reality and with the facts,” he said in a recent interview with NTD, an affiliate of The Epoch Times.

Easton said that democratic countries such as the United States do make mistakes, but these governments tend to self-correct since they are open to public debate and criticism.
An example cited by Easton was that of former President John F. Kennedy, who began his presidency with a setback—a failed landing operation in Cuba in 1961, known as the Bay of Pigs invasion. That failure, Easton said, allowed Kennedy to gain the necessary wisdom to successfully handle the Cuban Missile Crisis a year later, preventing the eruption of a possible World War III.

“So I think the U.S. government is almost certainly going to learn from what has happened. It’s going to reassess its priorities,” Easton said.
He added, “I suspect the ultimate conclusion that the Biden administration is going to make is that there is no way the United States of America can lose another friendly government.”
Easton also said that the Chinese propaganda missed a key point, that the significance of Afghanistan and Taiwan to the United States respectively is different.
“Afghanistan was not actually a priority. It was not an important national interest. It was not a tier-one interest of the United States,” he said.

In contrast, “Taiwan is tier-one,” he said. “It is absolutely critical for the United States that Taiwan continues to survive and thrive as a free and open democracy.”
During a congressional hearing in June, Matthew Pottinger, who served under the Trump administration as deputy national security adviser, gave a dire warning on what would happen if the Chinese regime successfully invaded Taiwan.
“If Taiwan falls, China will then be turning that navy into a global navy that will challenge us in every part of the world,” Pottinger said, pointing to China’s recent naval expansion (pdf) that now sees the regime boasting more ships than the U.S. Navy.
Chinese aircraft carrier
This undated photo taken in April 2018 shows China’s operational aircraft carrier, the Liaoning (front), sailing with other ships during a drill at sea. A flotilla of Chinese naval vessels held a “live combat drill” in the East China Sea, state media reported on April 23, 2018, the latest show of force by Beijing’s burgeoning navy in disputed waters that have riled neighbors. (AFP via Getty Images) US Policy

The Biden administration has responded to the Global Times propaganda. Earlier this week, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said U.S. commitment to Taiwan “remains as strong as it’s ever been,” while White House press secretary Jen Psaki said, “We stand by partners around the world who are subject to this kind of propaganda.”
On Thursday, a senior Biden administration official said U.S. “policy with regard to Taiwan has not changed,” a day after President Joe Biden alluded that the United States had dropped its longstanding policy of “strategic ambiguity” and would defend the island if it were attacked, in an interview with ABC News.

When asked about the decades-long policy on Thursday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a briefing the United States “will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait relations.”
Easton said the ambiguous nature of the U.S. policy toward Taiwan is “destabilizing” and “harmful to the continuation of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

“The ambiguous nature of U.S.-Taiwan relations since 1979 has put us in a position where we’re actually contributing to Taiwan’s relative weakening over time. Because we don’t do large-scale training exercises with the Taiwanese, we don’t show them the kinds of diplomatic, political support that we would normally show to other democratic countries that face these kinds of risks,” Easton explained

Washington ended its diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing in 1979 but it has maintained a robust relationship with the island based on the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which was signed into law by former President Jimmy Carter in April 1979. The TRA authorizes the United States to provide the island with military equipment for its self-defense.
Since China could invade Taiwan, Easton said the United States and other democratic governments need to be prepared.
They have to “prepare themselves for the possibility that the day could come when they might have to come to Taiwan’s defense as well and fight side by side with the Taiwanese military,” he said.
“Today, we’re simply not there. We’re not ready for that.”

Frank Fang

Frank Fang
journalist

Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based journalist. He covers news in China and Taiwan. He holds a Master's degree in materials science from Tsinghua University in Taiwan.

HwaiDer

www.theepochtimes.com

US Will Learn Lesson From Afghanistan and Bolster Support for Taiwan, Expert Says

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N

northern watch

TB Fanatic
Last edited:
jward

jward

passin' thru
World
Taiwan 'Absolutely Capable' of Stopping China's Missiles, Says Tsai Ing-wen
By John Feng On 8/24/21 at 12:41 PM EDT​


World Taiwan China Tsai Ing-wen

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen talked up her country's missile deterrence on Monday and called on the armed forces to "anticipate the enemy" as reports emerge of a $7 billion special budget to ramp up the island's precision strike capabilities.
taiwan-tests-anti-landing-rocket-systems.webp

Marking the 63rd anniversary of the 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis, Tsai visited the air force's missile command headquarters and the Defense Ministry's arms manufacturing center. In brief remarks, she again stressed the importance of self-defense.

"We may not be able to control where the enemy points its missiles, but we are absolutely capable of stopping hostile missiles from striking our beloved homeland," she said in a reference to China's rocket forces across the strait.
"The stronger our determination to defend our country, the less likely foreign forces will act recklessly. We must make adequate preparations in order to anticipate the enemy," Tsai added.
www.newsweek.com

Taiwan 'Absolutely Capable' of Stopping China's Missiles, Says Tsai Ing-wen

Taiwan's president made the remarks during a visit to the island's air force missile command headquarters on Monday.
www.newsweek.com www.newsweek.com
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
America’s Taiwan policy ‘has not changed one bit’: US scholar
Steven Goldstein describes US policy of strategic ambiguity as one of ‘dual deterrence’

1055


By Eric Chang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/08/25 15:45

Taiwan and US flags (Getty Images)


Taiwan and US flags (Getty Images)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — U.S. foreign policy with respect to Taiwan has not changed, according to an American scholar.

“The situation in the Taiwan Strait and Afghanistan are totally different,” said Steven Goldstein, an associate of the Fairbank Center and the director of the Taiwan Studies Workshop at Harvard University, in an interview with CNA.

“Taiwan’s status in American foreign policy has not changed one bit,” he stressed.

“As opposed to Afghanistan, the United States has a vital national interest to pursue in the Taiwan Strait,” Goldstein added. He then pointed out that the foundation of American policy is to avoid conflict in the region through the “preservation of the status quo.”

Goldstein said that one of the ways the U.S. maintains this is through a situation of “mutual frustration,” whereby Taiwan is not able to formally declare independence, while China is deterred from taking over Taiwan by military force due to the possibility of American military intervention. “So neither side is happy with the situation,” he told CNA.

The U.S. scholar then goes on to explain that America’s decades-old policy of strategic ambiguity is one of “dual deterrence” in which Taiwan is deterred from unilaterally declaring independence and China is deterred from using military force, while at the same time assuring Taipei that Washington will support its present status and assuring Beijing that America will not support Taiwanese independence if China refrains from attack.

Goldstein then noted that since Biden is working on getting his domestic policy package passed in the U.S., the president needs the support of Congress. And “Congress is a very strong supporter of Taiwan,” which also acts as a restraint on any radical change in American foreign policy toward Taiwan.

Taiwan News － Breaking News, Politics, Environment, Immigrants, Travel, and Health

Taiwan News is the most widely visited English-language portal for news about Taiwan, offering the outside world a revealing look at all things Taiwan
www.taiwannews.com.tw www.taiwannews.com.tw
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
Iron Lady
@nuwangzi

Map of the different Air Defense units within PLAAF (24 BGDs + 1 Div). Currently only the 5th Division is using the advanced Russian-made S-400. Beijing is heavily guarded while Taiwan is facing two brigades.
1629984193774.png
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
EndGameWW3

@EndGameWW3
·
10m

We still have time to poke China even while this Afghanistan debacle is happening... Update: The destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-100) & 1 US Coast Guard vessel transited through the Taiwan Strait, in what Washington calls routine operations.
 
Doomer Doug

Doomer Doug

TB Fanatic
The chinese invasion/liberation of Taiwan is inevitable if not imminent.

China is ignoring biden and the USA at this point. Xi the merciless will wait for the total farce in Afghanistan to play out and then launch such a MASSIVE invasion force at Taiwan it will crushed in 24 hours. Any US military response, short of nukes, will be wiped out down to the last ship or plane.
Neither biden or harris will trade Los Angeles or dc for Taiwan.
 
Doomer Doug

Doomer Doug

TB Fanatic
The general global assessment now is the USA is led by cowards, fools, traitors, and liars.

The mention of Guam was futile. China will either nuke guam, or cruise missile it into to rubble, followed by a division or three. Pearl will be radioactive scrap piles, as wiĺl San Diego and our Trident base.

Biden will be the DEATH of us.
 
NoDandy

NoDandy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
At this point NO ONE should trust China Joe !!! If his masters at the CCP tell him to stand down the US military when CCP invades Taiwan, that is exactly what Joe will do !!!! Joe works for the CCP, NOT the US !!!

:mad: :ld::mad:
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Taiwan to hold air raid drill alongside mega war games as test of ‘overall alertness’ against Chinese PLA attack
  • Annual military and air raid drills timed to coincide in September as a test of preparedness of ‘both the government and the public’ against military threats
  • Island-wide exercises come amid rising cross-strait tensions, with Beijing aiming missiles at Taiwan and sending warplanes into its air defence zone

Published: 8:00pm, 31 Aug, 2021






Computer-aided war games simulate a People’s Liberation Army attack as part of the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual war games which also feature live-fire drills. Photo: Handout

Computer-aided war games simulate a People’s Liberation Army attack as part of the Han Kuang exercises, Taiwan’s largest annual war games which also feature live-fire drills. Photo: Handout
Taiwan will stage a large-scale air raid drill – simulating missile and warplane attacks by Beijing – alongside its
annual live-fire military exercise
in September, as tensions mount in the Taiwan Strait.

The annual air raid drill, dubbed the “Wan An exercise”, will be carried out on September 15 across Taiwan, including its frontline islands of Kinmen (Quemoy) and Matsu, which lie at the doorstep of the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian.
This will be timed to coincide with the military’s massive annual live-fire Han Kuang exercises to test combat readiness of the island’s forces, especially against the Chinese
People’s Liberation Army.
This year’s war games will run for five days from September 13.





Taiwan says it will fight ‘to the very last day’ as Beijing sends fighter jets




Taiwan says it will fight ‘to the very last day’ as Beijing sends fighter jets
“In view of the military threats from our enemy … we will hold the Wan An exercise at the time when we stage the live-fire Han Kuang war games to strengthen the overall alertness, preparedness and capability of both the government and the public in dealing with such threats,” defence ministry spokesman Shih Shun-wen said on Tuesday.


The Wan An drills will test island-wide emergency responses to air attacks, including missile and warplane assaults by the mainland military force, Han Kang-ming, director of the ministry’s General Mobilisation Office, said.

“The drill will feature passage of intelligence about the raid, tests of various air alarm systems, including the Airspace Threat Alert System, and other warning devices that can help increase the early warning time [for relevant authorities and the public],” Han said.




China calls Japan ‘irresponsible’ over Tokyo’s ‘sense of crisis’ for Taiwan Strait tensions


ns

China calls Japan ‘irresponsible’ over Tokyo’s ‘sense of crisis’ for Taiwan Strait tensions
The Airspace Threat Alert System, introduced by the ministry in 2019, is designed to provide advance warning of an impending missile attack. During the exercise, the system will send test messages to all mobile phone owners on the island.

Police forces across the island will also take part in the drill, giving directions to relevant civil defence units on ways to alert the public, including those living in remote areas, Han said.

The public have been advised to install an app developed by the island’s police to locate air raid shelters in the event of a cross-strait attack.

However, there will be no evacuation orders or traffic control during the drill this year, to avoid the risk of cluster infections in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, Han noted.
The annual Wan An exercise, first held in 1978, has gained importance in recent years as Beijing has ramped up pressure on Taipei by aiming missiles at Taiwan, sending
warplanes
into the Taiwanese
air defence identification zone
and staging war games close to the island.

Beijing plans to build airport on reclaimed land near Taiwan amid tension
18 Aug 2021
1630427470329.png
On Tuesday, a twin-seated F-16 fighter jet overran a rain-soaked runway and ploughed into the ground when landing at Pingtung airbase. The jet was rehearsing an emergency landing in preparation for the upcoming Han Kuang war games on the Jiadong wartime runway. The nose and the landing gears of the jet were slightly damaged and both pilots were unhurt, the defence ministry said.

A test of emergency take-offs and landings of fighter jets on the Jiadong wartime runway will be a major element of the upcoming Han Kuang drills, which will simulate a scenario in which Taiwan’s military and civilian airports and airstrips are seriously damaged by enemy fire, and jets have to land on the highway, military officials said earlier.





‘Our commitment to Taiwan is rock solid’, US says about mainland China’s intimidation in the region
The five-day annual live-fire exercise involving all branches of the defence forces, with simultaneous air, sea and land drills, aims to test the combat readiness and defence strategies of the Taiwanese armed forces against a possible attack by Beijing.

Beijing claims sovereignty over the self-ruled island and has not renounced the use of force to bring it back under its control. Cross-strait ties have worsened since Tsai Ing-wen, of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, was elected president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle. Beijing has since suspended official exchanges with Taipei, stepped up military intimidation and poached seven of the island’s allies.
www.scmp.com

Taiwan air raid drill and war games to test ‘alertness’ against PLA attack

Island-wide exercises come amid rising cross-strait tensions, with Beijing aiming missiles at Taiwan and sending warplanes into its air defence zone.
www.scmp.com www.scmp.com
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
6 Naval Task Groups From U.S., U.K., India, Japan and Australia Underway in Pacific
By: Dzirhan Mahadzir
August 30, 2021 7:37 PM

USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), navigates Tokyo Bay on the way to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka for a scheduled port visit on Aug. 28, 2021. US Navy Photo
KUALA LUMPUR – Six task groups from the U.S, U.K., Australian, Japanese and Indian navies are currently on operational deployments in the Indo-Pacific region amidst an intense fall and early winter period of multilateral exercises.
Currently operating in the region are the Navy’s Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and Japan-based America Expeditionary Strike Group, the U.K. Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group 21 (CSG 21), Australian Defense Force Indo-Pacific Endeavour 21 (IPE 21) task group, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Indo-Pacific Deployment 2021 (IPD21) force and the Indian Navy Eastern Fleet task group.
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on Aug. 28 for a scheduled port visit. The strike group deployed on August 2 for the Western Pacific and consists of Vinson, cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG-57), and destroyers USS Dewey (DDG-105), USS O’Kane (DDG-77), USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112), USS Chafee (DDG-90) and USS Stockdale (DDG-106). The Carl Vinson CSG is expected to conduct an exercise with the U.K.’s CSG 21, which is now currently off the coast of South Korea for a scheduled bilateral exercise with the Republic of Korean Navy.
The America Expeditionary Strike Group – consisting of the USS America (LHA-6), USS New Orleans (LPD-18) and USS Germantown (LSD-42) with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked – are in the Philippine Sea conducting routine operations, with America and New Orleans coming off an intensive 12-day exercise and engagement period with both CSG 21 and JMSDF ships in the area. These exercises include the Large Scale 21 and Exercise Noble Union.
The 31st MEU said in a photo release that “Exercise Noble Union is part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s Noble Series of exercises which are used to test the Family of Naval Concepts, develop techniques and procedures for the employment of MEU assets in support of sea denial and fleet maneuver and inform future force design and experimentation efforts.”
JMSDF ships taking part in the exercise included helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH-182) and destroyer JS Asahi (DD119). A photo released by the JMSDF showed Ise carrying an embarked JGSDF AH-64D Apache helicopter, while the JMSDF release said that “from August 24-25, JS Ise and JS Asahi participated in the Multinational Advanced Aviation Cooperative Deployment as part of the Large-Scale Global Exercise 2021 in the west Pacific with [Japan Air Self-Defense Force], [Japan Ground Self-Defense Force], the Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group, America and F-35B fighters from both the U.S. and Royal Navy.” A separate exercise called Pacific Crown 21-1 took place from Aug 25-26 off Okinawa between the two JMSDF ships and CSG 21.

HMS Queen Elizabeth (R-08) on Aug. 30, 2021. UK Royal Navy Photo
The UK CSG 21 elements that took part in the exercise were the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) and embarked aircraft, which include The “Wake Island Avengers” of U.S. Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211. The squadron is integrated with the Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron “The Dambusters.” The multi-national U.K.-led CSG also includes destroyers HMS Defender (D36) and HMS Diamond (D34), frigates HMS Kent (F78) and HMS Richmond (F239), Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen (F805), and American destroyer USS The Sullivans (DDG-68). CSG 21 also includes Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s RFA Fort Victoria (A387) and RFA Tidespring (A136) and an Astute-class submarine. Destroyer HMS Diamond (D34) was forced to drop out of the group in July and dock in Italy due to problems with its engine. The ship was initially expected to get fixed and re-join the group in the Indo-Pacific, but the destroyer’s repairs are still not complete. Richmond had detached earlier from the group in July and is now in Guam following an equipment reset in Sasebo, Japan.
Kent also detached from the main group and docked on Aug. 27 at Sasebo, where it is slated to carry out a short maintenance period. The Astute-class submarine also supporting the deployment docked at the naval base in Busan, Republic of Korea on Aug. 11. The submarine was originally believed to be HMS Artful (S121), which was with CSG 21 during its Mediterranean deployment, but spotters of the submarine in Korea claimed that the nameplate on it said HMS Astute (S119), meaning a switch occurred prior to the strike group’s entry to the Indo-Pacific. Queen Elizabeth was scheduled to make a port call also in Busan along, conducting on-shore engagement activities, but that has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and instead only an at-sea exercise between the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) and CSG 21 will take place from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1 before CSG 21 moves on to Japan.
On Aug. 23, the JMSDF Indo-Pacific Deployment 2021 (IPD21) force departed from Japan, with the task force consisting of the destroyer helicopter carrier JS Kaga (DDH 184), destroyers JS Murasame (DD 101) and JS Shiranui (DD 120), and a total of four embarked helicopters. Supporting the deployment is a submarine and a P-1 Maritime patrol aircraft. The IPD has been an annual deployment for the JMSDF since 2019, with this year’s deployment running until Nov. 25. The goal is to improve the JMSDF’s tactical capabilities and to strengthen cooperation with partner navies in the Indo-Pacific region by conducting joint exercises. The list of countries that the group would drill with include Australia, French New Caledonia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Palau, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.
IPD21’s first engagement activity was phase 1 of the Malabar 2021 exercise between Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. that took place from Aug. 26 to 29 in the Philippines. The U.S. fielded destroyer USS Barry (DDG-52) and oiler USNS Rappahannock (T-AO-204), along with Naval Special Warfare forces and P-8 maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft from Task Force 72 for the drills, while India participated with frigate INS Shivalik (F47), corvette INS Kadmatt (P29) and a P-8I. Australia was represented by frigate HMAS Warramunga (FFH 152). Both the JMSDF P-1 and submarine supporting IPD21 also took part in the exercise. Mention of the submarine was omitted from all releases, but shown in the photos the JMSDF released of the exercise.

HMS Queen Elizabeth (front) with an Indian Shivalik Multi-role Frigate (second from front) in the Bay of Bengal. Royal Navy Photo
Sivalik and Kadmatt are part of a four-ship Indian Navy Eastern Fleet Task Group that left India in early August for a two-month deployment in South East Asia, the South China Sea and Western Pacific, according to an Indian Ministry of Defence press release. The other two ships in the task group are destroyer INS Ranvijay (D55) and corvette INS Kora (P61). The exercises will include drills with the Vietnamese Peoples’ Navy, the Republic of Philippines Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy, the Indonesian Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. Ranvijay and Kora carried out the exercise with the VPN frigate VPNS Ly Thai To (HQ-012) in the South China Sea on Aug. 18 and then carried out an exercise with the Philippine Navy frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF 151) on Aug. 23 in the West Philippine Seas. The Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet deployments to Southeast and Northeast Asia have been a regular occurrence over the years, in line with the Indian navy’s extensive bilateral engagements with countries there, along with engagements under the Quad partnership.
On Aug. 26 the Royal Australian Navy LPD HMAS Canberra (L02) and frigate HMAS Anzac (FFH150) left Darwin to begin the ADF’s Indo-Pacific Endeavour Deployment 21 (IPE21). The deployment has been an annual activity for the ADF since the beginning of 2017, with odd years taking place in Southeast Asia and even years taking place in the Southwest Pacific. The 2020 IPE was canceled due to COVID-19.

HMAS Canberra forms up with Navy Ships from United States of America and New Zealand on completion of Exercise Talisman Saber 17.
The deployment is run as a joint service deployment centered around a maritime task group built around one of the two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ships. Australia’s Department of Defence said IPE21 involves approximately 700 people – including Australian Defence Force and civilian defense personnel, and sea riders from partner nations – and that the engagements have been modified in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The engagements will be carried out primarily through contactless port visits, including a range of virtual workshops and at-sea activities. The IPE21 deployment will see the task group engage with Australia’s partners in Southeast Asia, in addition to participating in the Five Power Defence Arrangements Bersama Gold exercise in October, which marks the 50th anniversary of the defense arrangement between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Because of the COVID-19 situation in Malaysia, which is slated to host the exercise, Australian, U.K. and New Zealand naval and air assets will stage out of Singapore, rather than Malaysia as originally planned. Activities will mainly include contactless at-sea and in-air engagements, though a scaled-down formal ceremony involving Ministers and Defense Chiefs of the five countries is still on schedule. It is unclear whether the ADF’s MRH90 fleet – grounded in June 2021 and what normally forms the helicopter component for the IPEs – are embarked for the IPE21 deployment. The IPE21 task group is expected to return to Australia in November.
news.usni.org

6 Naval Task Groups From U.S., U.K., India, Japan and Australia Underway in Pacific - USNI News

KUALA LUMPUR – Six task groups from the U.S, U.K., Australian, Japanese and Indian navies are currently on operational deployments in the Indo-Pacific region amidst an intense fall and early winter period of multilateral exercises. Currently operating in the region are the Navy’s Carl Vinson...
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danielboon

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TB Fanatic
New Chinese maritime law could be ‘time bomb’:hmm:
From tomorrow, China legally requires foreign vessels entering what it considers to be its territorial waters to notify Beijing, creating what some fear is a “ticking time bomb” for conflict in the South China Sea.

The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in April amended China’s Maritime Traffic Safety Law (海上交通安全法) to require all foreign vessels entering Chinese territorial waters to inform maritime authorities, carry relevant permits, and submit to Chinese command and supervision.

It also gives Beijing the authority to instruct foreign vessels that “threaten the safety of Chinese internal or territorial waters” to leave and to exercise the “right of immediate pursuit.”

P01-210831-001.jpg

A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Shenyang J-15 takes off from the Liaoning aircraft carrier in an undated photograph.
Photo: AP
According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, territorial waters are defined as the 12 nautical miles (22.2km) of sea extending from terrestrial territory, with the “right of innocent passage” reserved for vessels moving through territorial waters in a manner that does not threaten the security of the coastal state.

The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration said in a statement that the new reporting requirement would apply to all submersibles, nuclear vessels and ships carrying radioactive or harmful substances, as well as any foreign vessels deemed to “endanger the maritime traffic safety of China.”

Reports should include the vessel’s name, call sign, current position, next port of call, estimated course and speed, nature of goods and loading capacity, it said.

Other nations are afraid that China’s exploitation of the law to expand the scope of “gray zone” conflict could become a ticking time bomb, said Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲), director of the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources at the Institute of National Defense and Strategic Research.

Beijing considers its maritime jurisdiction to encompass more than just its coastal waters, Su said.

This would include the 12 nautical miles of sea surrounding the artificial reefs it has constructed in the South China Sea, giving Beijing an excuse to respond to freedom of navigation exercises carried out by other nations, he said.

Taiwan Democracy Watch specialist Sung Cheng-en (宋承恩) said that he expects the impact on the Taiwan Strait to be slight.

Under the UN convention, waters between Taiwan and China are considered an international strait through which freedom of navigation “solely for the purpose of continuous and expeditious transit of the strait” is guaranteed.

However, Sung agreed that the amendment could affect US operations in the South China Sea, depending on how China’s coast guard chooses to enforce the law.

www.taipeitimes.com

New Chinese maritime law could be ‘time bomb’ - Taipei Times

Bringing Taiwan to the World and the World to Taiwan
www.taipeitimes.com www.taipeitimes.com
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
S Korea Navy and UK Carrier Strike Group to conduct joint military drill, US will not participate

ANI
Tue, 31 August 2021, 12:37 am·2-min read


Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Seoul [South Korea], August 31 (ANI/Global Economic): South Korean Navy and the UK carrier strike group will conduct a joint maritime military training. The US military, which was scheduled to join, will not participate in the drill.
"Korean Navy and the U.K. carrier strike group will appoint each training commander and conduct search and rescue drills and maritime mobile logistics drill for humanitarian purposes," Defense Ministry spokesman Boo Seung-chan said at the regular briefing on 30th.
"Other countries military troops, including the U.S., were scheduled to participate in the joint drills as the part of the aircraft carrier fleet, but they will not participate this time," Spokesman Boo said. "There is no schedule agreed with other countries."

The UK Embassy in Seoul also said on the same day, "The U.K. carrier strike group (CSG21) led by Queen Elizabeth will begin to exchange in various ways with the Korean Navy in Korean territorial waters from today."
"During the joint drill, the CSG21 will work closely with the Korean Navy to test interoperability and share best practices," the U.K. Embassy said. "Also, two parts will invite representatives from the Korean government and industries to see how the aircraft carriers work on the sea and discuss mutual interests such as cooperation between Korea and the U.K., maritime security and regional stability."
According to the UK Embassy, the U.K. CSG21 consists of 9 warships, 32 aircraft and one submarine. More than 3,700 sailors, pilots and marines from the U.K., the U.S., and the Netherlands are on board.
Queen Elizabeth, the 5th-generation aircraft carrier ship, is the largest warship in the U.K. history with 65,000 tons capacity of full load displacement. Its propellers generate power equivalent to 50 high-speed trains.
The Queen Elizabeth will lead 6 U.K. warships, one U.K. submarine, one U.S. destroyer and a Dutch frigate. It is equipped with F-35B stealth combat aircrafts operated by the U.K. Royal Air Force, the U.K. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps. (ANI/Global Economic)
sg.news.yahoo.com

S Korea Navy and UK Carrier Strike Group to conduct joint military drill, US will not participate

Seoul [South Korea], August 31 (ANI/Global Economic): South Korean Navy and the UK carrier strike group will conduct a joint maritime military training. The US military, which was scheduled to join, will not participate in the drill.
sg.news.yahoo.com sg.news.yahoo.com
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
meanwhile
Chinese warship on 24-hour standby in waters east of Taiwan: Sankei Shimbun
PLAN vessel seen as 'raising military tensions,' constricting Taiwan Navy
5017

By Keoni Everington, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/08/31 13:20
(Google Maps screenshot)

(Google Maps screenshot)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Japanese media on Monday (Aug. 30) reported that a Chinese warship is being deployed 24-hours a day in the waters between Yonaguni Island and northeast Taiwan.
On Monday, the Sankei Shimbun cited Japanese government officials and Taiwanese military leaders as saying that a Chinese warship is being kept on 24-hour standby between Okinawa Prefecture's Yonaguni Island and Taiwan's Yilan County. The Japanese government perceives this deployment as an "action to raise military tensions" and is analyzing China's intentions, according to the newspaper.
The report added that the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) had already been regularly sending two warships near the 27th parallel, north of the Diaoyutai Islands (Senkaku Islands) in Okinawa Prefecture, before adding the patrol near Yonaguni Island. Sources told the newspaper that the ship is located north-northwest of Yonaguni Island and first appeared there late last year.
The warships sent to the area are believed to be part of China's East Sea Fleet, which is based in Zhejiang Province's Ningbo. Yonaguni Island is only 110 kilometers from Taiwan's northeast coast and 170 km from the Diaoyutai Islands.
Japan's Ministry of Defense has positioned a coastal observation unit of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces on Yonaguni to monitor movements in the waters between the island and Taiwan. The report cited Japanese officials as asserting that China considers the waterway a strategic chokepoint and is attempting to limit the movements of Taiwanese naval vessels.
Likewise, a Taiwanese military official told the news agency that the Chinese ship has been sent to constrain the movements of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The report stated that although the PLAN Type 054A frigate spotted off the coast of Yonaguni on May 3 is not the same ship currently prowling the area, the fact that the Japanese defense ministry publicized the encounter is a sign Japan is seeking to draw attention to Chinese naval maneuvers in the area.
Chinese warship on 24-hour standby in waters east of Taiwan: Sankei Shimbun | Taiwan News | 2021-08-31 13:20:00 :hmm:
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Taiwan to equip 6 Kang Ding-class frigates with new missiles
Sea Sword II program budgeted from 2022 to 2030
1042

By Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/08/31 13:57
The Kang Ding-class frigates will be equipped with new missile systems.

The Kang Ding-class frigates will be equipped with new missile systems. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Navy will upgrade its six Kang Ding-class frigates to improve their air and missile defenses by installing new missile systems.
The program, costing a total of NT$43.15 billion (US$1.55 billion), was described in a 2022 budget document filed by the Ministry of National Defense at the Legislative Yuan Tuesday, CNA reported.
The Sea Chaparral missiles, which had been in service on the frigates for about 20 years, will be replaced by the Sea Sword II, developed by Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 中科院). The upgrading has been budgeted for the period from 2021 until 2030, according to the military’s plan.
The new missile system will conform to the frigates’ stealth contours, with no angles protruding from the ship. The six Kang Ding-class frigates were procured from France in the early 1990s, when they were known as Lafayette frigates.
The Sea Sword II is an active radar-guided mid-range air defense missile that completed testing earlier this year. It can engage with anti-ship missiles and threats from airplanes simultaneously, allowing it to deliver a significant improvement over the frigates’ current defense capabilities.

Taiwan News － Breaking News, Politics, Environment, Immigrants, Travel, and Health

Taiwan News is the most widely visited English-language portal for news about Taiwan, offering the outside world a revealing look at all things Taiwan
www.taiwannews.com.tw www.taiwannews.com.tw
 
T

Techwreck

Veteran Member
So Beijing put in a new rule about being in "their" waters, and we're re backing out of the drill?
Shocked, I tell you.
Chalk yet another win for Xi through his Biden puppet.

Hell, they've probably been green-lighted to take Taiwan, and Joe will brag of reunifying China.
 
jward

jward

passin' thru

washingtontimes.com

China tests new missiles in simulated Taiwan strike
Bill Gertz
9-11 minutes


China’s recent test of reported new missiles appears to have been a simulated attack on a Taiwanese airfield and a possible test launch of a new hypersonic weapon, according to a U.S. Air Force research center analysis.

The missiles were launched Aug. 13 from a training site in Jilantai in western China and traveled 870 miles west before hitting two targets in an airfield.

“This missile launch event almost certainly featured a new system of some kind and indicates that the [People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force] has modernized yet another missile brigade with a Taiwan-centric mission set,” states an open-source analysis by the China Aerospace Studies Institute, a think tank at the Air Force’s Air University in Alabama.

The report concludes that China‘s official accounts of the missile tests were intended for deterrence and amounted to little more than an “overblown show put on by the PLA.” Beijing has stepped up its intimidation campaign against the island democracy in recent months. Officials say Taiwan is an integral part of China and must eventually be reunited with the mainland.

Chinese state media described the missile tests as the firings of two “new-type missiles.” Reporting on the tests triggered a large trending response on Chinese social media. The Chinese reports identified the two missiles as short-range DF-15s from the 613 Brigade that are deployed within range of Taiwan in the hundreds.

However, the Pentagon lists the range for the DF-15 as 500 miles, suggesting either an extended-range version of the missile or a possible hypersonic missile test disguised as a short-range test.

The report said the longer-range flight means the missiles are unlikely to be standard short-range weapons currently in the Chinese rocket forces’ inventory.

The range difference between DF-15 and the 870-mile flight could indicate that the Chinese military has equipped its former DF-15 force with longer-range DF-21 or DF-26 missiles, or CJ-10 cruise missiles. Alternatively, the tests could reveal that the 613 Brigade is now armed with DF-17 hypersonic missiles. These missiles are designed to evade advanced missile defenses by traveling more than five times the speed of sound.

“Previous assessed DF-17 test launches have demonstrated a range of at least [870 miles], which is commensurate with the assessed flight path” of the Aug. 13 launch, the Air Force report said. “These systems are also relatively new to the [Chinese rocket force] and would fit the definition of a ‘new-type missile.’”

A third option is that the two missiles are an entirely new class not observed before. However, China’s military in the past has not deployed new missiles into its forces in that way.

China also may have extended the range of the DF-15 to around 870 miles. The report said that is unlikely unless the missiles contained a “glide vehicle” like that used on the DF-17 hypersonic missile.

The report said additional data is needed to determine which new missile was tested.

“The implication remains that 613 Brigade may now field a missile system that has a substantially longer range than the DF-15s with which it is currently equipped,” the report said.

Chinese state media also said the missile features a new warhead that is hardened against jamming and thus can attack defended information systems. China’s military defines jamming broadly; thus, the new warheads could include electro-optical, infrared or radar-based guidance capable of defeating jammers.

Military writings by officials linked to the 613 Brigade have said some warheads the unit uses are radar-guided.

Commercial satellite images showed that the missile tests did not demonstrate improved warhead accuracy or increased explosive power.

According to the U.S. analysis, China’s military frequently uses advanced weapons tests and military exercises to deter or coerce adversaries.

“With each deterrent activity, the PLA emphasizes the need for there to be some real capability behind the activity, demonstrated resolve, and for the information on the activity to be transmitted to the adversary’s population,” said the report, noting that state-run media report in both Chinese and English. “In this instance, there is some limited capability behind the activity, in that the weapon system in question is real and marginally improves the [rocket force’s] overall capabilities.”

China tested the missiles while stepping up provocations against Taiwan. Near-daily incursions of Taiwanese airspace have included flights of nuclear-capable bombers.

The Jilantai missile training site is also the location of China’s large-scale expansion of nuclear missile forces, where several hundred silos for DF-41 long-range missiles are being built. It is one of three new missile fields for as many as 350 new DF-41s.

Rick Fisher, a China military affairs expert, said the analysis by the China Aerospace Studies Institute indicates that China has an extended-range version of DF-15 or is getting ready for a short-range missile to replace it.

“The DF-15B arsenal, introduced about 2007, could be ending its service life, causing the PLA to exercise with them more and to find ways to exploit them for propaganda impact,” said Mr. Fisher, now an analyst with the International Assessment and Strategy Center.

“This may also indicate a replacement missile is on the way,” he said. “Both the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. have developed modular second-generation [short-range ballistic missiles] that could vastly increase the number of missiles aimed at Taiwan.”

China has over 1,200 DF-15s and DF-16 short-range missiles deployed within range of Taiwan, whose main island is just 100 miles off the Chinese coastline.
www.washingtontimes.com

China tests new missiles in simulated Taiwan strike

China’s recent test of reported new missiles appears to have been a simulated attack on a Taiwan airfield and also a possible test launch of a new hypersonic weapon, according to a U.S. Air Force research center analysis.
www.washingtontimes.com www.washingtontimes.com
 
N

northern watch

TB Fanatic
Taiwan says China can 'paralyse' its defences, threat worsening
By Yimou Lee
August 31, 202111:30 PM PDT
Last Updated 5 hours ago

TAIPEI, Sept 1 (Reuters) - China's armed forces can "paralyse" Taiwan's defences and are able to fully monitor its deployments, the island's defence ministry said, offering a stark assessment of the rising threat posed by its giant neighbour.

Beijing is stepping up military activities around the island, which it views as Chinese territory. It has never renounced the use of force to bring democratic Taiwan under its control.

In its annual report to parliament on China's military, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters, Taiwan's Defence Ministry presented a far graver view than it did last year, when the report said China still lacked the capability to launch a full assault on Taiwan.

This year's report said that China can launch what it termed "soft and hard electronic attacks", including blocking communications across the western part of the first island chain, the string of islands that run from the Japanese archipelago, through Taiwan and down to the Philippines.

China "can combine with its internet army to launch wired and wireless attacks against the global internet, which would initially paralyse our air defences, command of the sea and counter-attack system abilities, presenting a huge threat to us".

China has also improved its reconnaissance abilities using Beidou, China's answer to the U.S.-owned GPS navigation system, the ministry added.

This means Beijing can monitor movements around Taiwan, helped by China's regular use of its own spy planes, drones and intelligence gathering ships, it said.

China's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Although Taiwan's report noted, like last year, that China still lacked transport abilities and logistical support for a large-scale invasion, the Chinese military is working to boost those abilities.

With precision missile attacks that can hit anywhere on the island, China is also capable of "paralysing" Taiwan military command centres and combat capacity of its naval and air forces, it said.

Chinese spies in Taiwan could launch a "decapitation strike" to destroy political and economic infrastructure, it added.

With the deployment of mid- and long-range missiles and more exercises involving its aircraft carriers, China is trying to position itself to delay "foreign military intervention" in an attack on Taiwan, the ministry said.

President Tsai Ing-wen has made bolstering Taiwan's own defences a priority, building up its domestic defence industry and buying more equipment from the United States, the island's most important arms supplier and international backer.

Reporting by Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard. Editing by Gerry Doyle

Taiwan says China can 'paralyse' its defences, threat worsening | Reuters
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Taiwan Army to bulk up machine gun, mortar stockpiles
Weapons budgeted for 2022-2026 needed to repel potential invasion
753

By Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2021/09/01 15:12
The Army is budgeting for new machine guns and mortars.

The Army is budgeting for new machine guns and mortars. (CNA photo)

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — According to the newly submitted 2022 defense budget, the Army plans to procure 2,060 light machine guns and 87 120-mm mortars next year, reports said Wednesday (Sept. 1).
The aim of the new weapons would be to strengthen the military’s capability to resist an enemy landing and to block and strike back at an invading force, CNA reported.
The machine guns would cost NT$428.89 million (US$15.47 million), while the Army is budgeting NT$157.39 million for the mortars, with both to be paid for from 2022-2026. The Army described the latter as easy to use and precise, making them useful in the task to prevent the unspecified enemy from advancing.
Looking at the numbers, the Army said it is at an apparent disadvantage compared to the enemy force, but its efficiency and speed in using the weapons would give it an edge.

Taiwan News － Breaking News, Politics, Environment, Immigrants, Travel, and Health

Taiwan News is the most widely visited English-language portal for news about Taiwan, offering the outside world a revealing look at all things Taiwan
www.taiwannews.com.tw www.taiwannews.com.tw
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
Taiwan plans new defence agency to better prepare military reservists to step up in a war
  • Reserve force has been criticised for being unable to replace the regular force in the event of a conflict because of inadequate training
  • Defence ministry says PLA is a growing threat to the island given its capabilities in cyber and electronic warfare and communication jamming






Taiwan’s defence ministry has budgeted US$9.3 million to finance a new agency to better manage its military reservists. Photo: AP

Taiwan’s defence ministry has budgeted US$9.3 million to finance a new agency to better manage its military reservists. Photo: AP

Taiwan
will launch a new defence agency next year to boost the combat readiness of its much criticised military reserve force amid a growing threat from Beijing, which
claims the self-ruled island as its territory
.

It will also send officers to the United States for training and exchange visits as part of its efforts to improve the mobilisation and
build-up of the Taiwanese reserve force
, according to a budget proposal submitted by the island’s defence ministry to the legislature on Tuesday.

Under the proposal, which must be reviewed and approved by the legislature, the defence ministry has budgeted NT$258 million (US$9.3 million) to finance the new agency. It will open on January 1 in line with legislation approved in May for the formation of the agency to overhaul the island’s system for assembling and preparing reservists.
The agency, which will replace the Armed Forces Reserve Command, will design mobilisation-related measures and coordinate with relevant authorities to build up and organise a combat-ready reserve force, according to the proposal.

Through existing military exchange platforms, the agency will engage in exchange programmes with the US. Its responsibility includes sending officers for visits and small group resident training to learn how to strengthen the supervision and call-up of the island’s reserve force, the proposal stated.


Taiwan’s reserve force has long been criticised for its inability to replace the regular force in fighting the enemy in the event of a war because of inadequate training.

A 2017 report by Rand Corporation, a US military think tank, said Taiwan could effectively mobilise its military and society to respond to both man-made and natural disasters, but its approach to reserve force training “seems inadequate for maintaining the readiness of those reserve units that would see combat in the event of an all-out Chinese invasion”.
NEW
KNOWLEDGE
How is Beijing planning to modernise its military?
Get the full picture

The report said the
People’s Liberation Army
was rapidly
modernising and developing capabilities
that would challenge the mobilisation and employment of Taiwan’s reserves in a cross-strait conflict. It said as the number of Taiwan’s active-duty soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines decreased, and the active force transformed into a volunteer rather than a conscript force, reservists needed to take on increasingly difficult missions.

Taiwan’s biggest defence budget includes US$1.4 billion for new warplanes
26 Aug 2021
1630513695305.png
Over the years, Taiwan has downsized its regular force from 380,000 troops in 2001 to about 170,000.

In February, the defence ministry introduced new rules governing the call-up of reservists to improve their combat readiness, beginning next year.

According to the plan, the island’s reservists would undergo two weeks of training instead of the current five to seven days, and could be called up every year instead of the current once every two years.
The new policy will begin as a trial in 2022-23 before full-scale implementation in 2024.

The ministry has also extended the period during which reservists could be called up – from four times in eight years after being discharged from military service to four times in 12 years.

Taiwanese President
Tsai Ing-wen
has said there was a need to make the military reserve a more reliable backup for its regular forces to safeguard the island in the face of growing intimidation from the mainland.


Tensions have been rising across the Taiwan Strait since Tsai was elected president in 2016 and refused to accept the one-China principle. Beijing has been
ramping up pressure on the island
, including by suspending official exchanges, staging live-fire drills close by and poaching its diplomatic allies.
Taiwan and the US
have meanwhile moved closer in recent years, further angering Beijing.

What could Taiwan learn from the US withdrawal from Afghanistan?
17 Aug 2021
1630513695425.png
In a separate report sent to the legislature on Tuesday, the defence ministry said the PLA was a growing threat to Taiwan, given its capabilities in the areas of cyber and electronic warfare and communication jamming.

It also highlighted the possibility of the mainland’s military paralysing Taiwan’s air defence, sea control and counter-warfare system, saying the PLA’s combat effectiveness had already extended beyond the first island chain that stretches from Japan to the Philippines.
With China expected to commission its
Type 003 aircraft carrier
by 2025, the ministry said the PLA would greatly increase its sea power.

www.scmp.com

Taiwan plans new defence agency to prepare reservists to step up in a war

Reserve force has been criticised for being unable replace the regular force in the event of a conflict because of inadequate training.
www.scmp.com www.scmp.com
 
danielboon

danielboon

TB Fanatic
China tests new missiles in simulated Taiwan strike
Air Force analysis: August launch could involve hypersonic missiles



In this Sept. 3, 2015, file photo, Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, potentially capable of sinking a U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in a single strike, pass by Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, in Beijing. China’s military test-fired two missiles into the South China Sea, including a “carrier killer” military analysts suggest might have been developed to attack U.S. forces, a newspaper reported Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, Pool, File) **FILE**
In this Sept. 3, 2015, file photo, Chinese military vehicles carrying DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missiles, potentially capable of sinking a U.S. Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in a single strike, pass by Tiananmen Gate during a military parade to commemorate the 70th ... more >


By Bill Gertz - The Washington Times - Tuesday, August 31, 2021
China’s recent test of reported new missiles appears to have been a simulated attack on a Taiwanese airfield and a possible test launch of a new hypersonic weapon, according to a U.S. Air Force research center analysis.
The missiles were launched Aug. 13 from a training site in Jilantai in western China and traveled 870 miles west before hitting two targets in an airfield.
“This missile launch event almost certainly featured a new system of some kind and indicates that the [People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force] has modernized yet another missile brigade with a Taiwan-centric mission set,” states an open-source analysis by the China Aerospace Studies Institute, a think tank at the Air Force’s Air University in Alabama.
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The report concludes that China‘s official accounts of the missile tests were intended for deterrence and amounted to little more than an “overblown show put on by the PLA.” Beijing has stepped up its intimidation campaign against the island democracy in recent months. Officials say Taiwan is an integral part of China and must eventually be reunited with the mainland.
Chinese state media described the missile tests as the firings of two “new-type missiles.” Reporting on the tests triggered a large trending response on Chinese social media. The Chinese reports identified the two missiles as short-range DF-15s from the 613 Brigade that are deployed within range of Taiwan in the hundreds.
However, the Pentagon lists the range for the DF-15 as 500 miles, suggesting either an extended-range version of the missile or a possible hypersonic missile test disguised as a short-range test.
The report said the longer-range flight means the missiles are unlikely to be standard short-range weapons currently in the Chinese rocket forces’ inventory.
The range difference between DF-15 and the 870-mile flight could indicate that the Chinese military has equipped its former DF-15 force with longer-range DF-21 or DF-26 missiles, or CJ-10 cruise missiles. Alternatively, the tests could reveal that the 613 Brigade is now armed with DF-17 hypersonic missiles. These missiles are designed to evade advanced missile defenses by traveling more than five times the speed of sound.
“Previous assessed DF-17 test launches have demonstrated a range of at least [870 miles], which is commensurate with the assessed flight path” of the Aug. 13 launch, the Air Force report said. “These systems are also relatively new to the [Chinese rocket force] and would fit the definition of a ‘new-type missile.’”
A third option is that the two missiles are an entirely new class not observed before. However, China’s military in the past has not deployed new missiles into its forces in that way.
China also may have extended the range of the DF-15 to around 870 miles. The report said that is unlikely unless the missiles contained a “glide vehicle” like that used on the DF-17 hypersonic missile.
The report said additional data is needed to determine which new missile was tested.
“The implication remains that 613 Brigade may now field a missile system that has a substantially longer range than the DF-15s with which it is currently equipped,” the report said.
Chinese state media also said the missile features a new warhead that is hardened against jamming and thus can attack defended information systems. China’s military defines jamming broadly; thus, the new warheads could include electro-optical, infrared or radar-based guidance capable of defeating jammers.
Military writings by officials linked to the 613 Brigade have said some warheads the unit uses are radar-guided.
Commercial satellite images showed that the missile tests did not demonstrate improved warhead accuracy or increased explosive power.
According to the U.S. analysis, China’s military frequently uses advanced weapons tests and military exercises to deter or coerce adversaries.
“With each deterrent activity, the PLA emphasizes the need for there to be some real capability behind the activity, demonstrated resolve, and for the information on the activity to be transmitted to the adversary’s population,” said the report, noting that state-run media report in both Chinese and English. “In this instance, there is some limited capability behind the activity, in that the weapon system in question is real and marginally improves the [rocket force’s] overall capabilities.”
China tested the missiles while stepping up provocations against Taiwan. Near-daily incursions of Taiwanese airspace have included flights of nuclear-capable bombers.
The Jilantai missile training site is also the location of China’s large-scale expansion of nuclear missile forces, where several hundred silos for DF-41 long-range missiles are being built. It is one of three new missile fields for as many as 350 new DF-41s.
Rick Fisher, a China military affairs expert, said the analysis by the China Aerospace Studies Institute indicates that China has an extended-range version of DF-15 or is getting ready for a short-range missile to replace it.
“The DF-15B arsenal, introduced about 2007, could be ending its service life, causing the PLA to exercise with them more and to find ways to exploit them for propaganda impact,” said Mr. Fisher, now an analyst with the International Assessment and Strategy Center.
“This may also indicate a replacement missile is on the way,” he said. “Both the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. and the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. have developed modular second-generation [short-range ballistic missiles] that could vastly increase the number of missiles aimed at Taiwan.”
China has over 1,200 DF-15s and DF-16 short-range missiles deployed within range of Taiwan, whose main island is just 100 miles off the Chinese coastline.
www.washingtontimes.com

China tests new missiles in simulated Taiwan strike

China’s recent test of reported new missiles appears to have been a simulated attack on a Taiwan airfield and also a possible test launch of a new hypersonic weapon, according to a U.S. Air Force research center analysis.
www.washingtontimes.com www.washingtontimes.com
 
H

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
I have to wonder about the sturdiness of the CoG plans of all the likely involved parties, both on paper and in a "dynamic" reality?.....Unless something changes in Beijing soon, we'll likely find out for real soon.....
 
jward

jward

passin' thru
China Could Invade Taiwan Under These Seven Scenarios, Defense Report Says
John Feng

4-5 minutes


Taiwan has identified seven circumstances in which China could justify launching a military offensive against it, including a formal declaration of independence and the stationing of foreign troops on the island, according to a new white paper shown to lawmakers on Tuesday.

The August 31 report containing its annual assessment of People's Liberation Army (PLA) capabilities and ambitions was submitted to the legislature along with a proposal for an increase in defense spending in 2022.

Taiwan says it is already a functionally independent country under the formal name the Republic of China, with the current government stressing there is no need for any other declaration. The People's Republic of China claims Taiwan is part of its territory, but Beijing has never governed the island since its founding in 1949.
The Defense Ministry report lists a formal declaration of independence—presumably under the name "Taiwan"—as one possible scenario that could lead to a Chinese invasion. Other potential openings include Taiwan's "clearly heading toward independence" or the "delay of cross-strait unification dialogue."

Political or civil unrest and the acquisition of nuclear weapons are other circumstances that Beijing could exploit, as are the intervention of foreign forces in Taiwan's affairs or the stationing of foreign troops on the island, the white paper said.
China says it will never renounce the use of force against Taiwan, a principle that was formalized in its 2005 anti-secession law, which was codified under the leadership of former Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Among the provisions for the use of "non-peaceful means" to settle the island's status include the successful political separation of Taiwan from China and the loss of all possibility of peaceful unification.
This year's report into the PLA includes some of the most alarming illustrations of the growing military imbalance across the Taiwan Strait. China's electronic warfare capabilities, the document says, can "paralyze Taiwan's air defenses, command of the sea and counterattacking systems."

The PLA's "soft and hard electronic attacks" as well as its signal jamming and masking abilities now reach west of the first island chain, the report said, adding that China's cyberattacks during a potential offensive would "present a huge threat to Taiwan."

China's Beidou navigation system—the country's answer to the U.S.'s GPS—is able to monitor movements around Taiwan with the help of its reconnaissance aircraft, drones and vessels.

Like in its 2020 report, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said China has yet to acquire the transportation and logistics needed for a large-scale landing operating, but it said the PLA was increasing its capabilities in that area.
This year's white paper is the first to include cognitive warfare and gray-zone activity among the raft of potential measures deployed by China. The PLA wants an offensive that is low in losses, high in efficiency, fast and decisive, the report notes, describing an attack that would involve area denial, the occupation of outlying islands and the assassination of Taiwan's political leaders.

The Defense Ministry said it expects China's third aircraft carrier to enter service in 2025, which would increase the PLA's ability to restrict foreign military intervention in a Taiwan contingency.
Tuesday's budget proposal for 2022 includes defense spending of $17.02 billion. Local reports said lawmakers were also reviewing a $7.15 billion special budget for missile production and procurement.

Taiwan's budget submission includes funds earmarked for the purchase of U.S. weapons including MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, F-16 fighter aircraft and HIMARS rocket systems—all announced by the Donald Trump administration—and "Paladin" self-propelled howitzers approved by the Joe Biden administration.

Taiwan Defense Report Highlights Growing China Threat

File photo: A U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet of Taiwan's Republic of China Air Force pulls up in a steep climb during rehearsals for a public airshow at a military airbase in Taitung, Taiwan, on July 9, 2018. Taiwan has identified seven circumstances in which China could justify launching a military offensive against the island. CHRIS STOWERS/AFP via Getty Images

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China Could Invade Taiwan Under These Seven Scenarios, Defense Report Says

In an annual report prepared for lawmakers, Taiwan's Defense Ministry gave its latest assessments of China's military capabilities and ambitions.
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