Taiwan extends cruise missile range

Society Military and Strategic Issues
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Taiwan extends cruise missile range
Tuesday, April 24, 2007

TAIPEI: Taiwan has extended the range of a cruise missile that is capable of hitting military airports and missile bases in China, it was reported Monday.

The report came as the independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian highlighted Taiwan’s identity in a move likely to irk Beijing, which regards the island as part of its territory awaiting to be reunified.

The range of Hsiung-feng 2E (Brave Wind) cruise missile had been designed at 600 kilometres (360 miles), the Taipei-based China Times said. But researchers at Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology have made a technological breakthrough and “several test-fires showed its range has topped 800 kilometres” it said, without identifying the source.

Should war break out, the missile would be used to attack military airports and missile bases in southeastern China, the paper said, adding that mass production of the weapon could begin soon. China has repeatedly threatened to invade Taiwan should it declare formal independence, prompting the island to seek more advanced weaponry. afp

Daily Times

I wonder who’s skirt will Taiwan hide behind when there’s no America around to protect it?

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

Oh I don't know about that.

China recently did a scenario in which it invades Taiwan with no US help.

China would suffer 600,000 casualties in the Invasion and another million in the conquest of Taiwan.

So it would need to Invade Taiwan with more than 2 Million Men.

With US help, especially if the powerful US 7th Fleet gets involved then the entire Chinese Navy will be blown out of the Water.

Taiwan is a very tough place to invade. If it wasn't China would have already done it by now

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

^ But the last I heard a year or so ago was that China had over 800 nuclear missiles facing Taiwan. I can't imagine the Chinese invading it before completely destroying the island first.

I imagine, it would be like the way the Russians did in Chechnya at the beginning of this century.

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

600000 casualties?....so many from a small country?

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

China would suffer 600,000 casualties.

And it would suffer another Million.

But it also depends if the Taiwanese Navy and Air Force don't cut off the Naval supply chain to supply Chinese troops in Taiwan.

Within a few days, most Chinese Troops will be out of ammo and surrender.

A comparison can be drawn with Nazi Germany and Great Britain in World War II.

Germany was far stronger than Britain when it came to overall Military strength but still lacked the means to invade England.

The Allies invaded Europe in 1944 when they were facing a German Military in which 90% of its forces were deployed against Russia.

China's Doctrine of invading Taiwan is simple.

1 - A Massive Missile Strike on Taiwan Military and other sensitive infrastructure.

2 - A Massive naval flotilla sails for Taiwan and Chinese Navy creates a blockade around Taiwan preventing reinforcements from coming through.

3 - Chinese begin air strikes on Taiwan as ground troops land.

4 - Consolidation of southern Taiwan and the landing of 1,000,000 Chinese troops before the main push towards Taipei can begin.

5 - Capture of Taipei and end of the war.

Now, all of this depends on China keeping an open flow of supplies going to its forces which means that the US 7th Fleet has to stay out of the fight otherwise China will not succeed.

USA is arming Taiwan with Aegis Destroyers, F-18 Fighters, Arrow II Defense Systems, Tanks, Tow II Missiles, Apache Gunships, Talbot Fighters and building deep underground bunkers and barracks which can withstand Chinese conventional missile strikes.

USA and Taiwan have also a secret arrangement in which control of several US Warships will pass to Taiwanese Sailors in China attempts an invasion.

The Taiwanese Sailors train regularly with the US Navy and are flown regularly to Japan to have the know how to immediately take over US Warships in an event of a Chinese invasion.

China's Military is a largely obese and slow moving military with many parts that need to churn to get things moving. Its not the fast and rapid force like the USA or NATO Armies.

It has disputes with India and Russia which forces it to maintain large infantry forces to confront these two powers.

It has Japan and South Korea both have very powerful Militaries with Japan in particular having the most powerful Navy in Asia.

And to top it off, China is obsessed with the capture of Taiwan and thus must make a very powerful Naval Amphibious Force and develop weaponry to confront the powerful Taiwanese Military and its US Ally.

China will not invade Taiwan just like USA will not invade Iran.

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

They have 800 Nuclear Missiles but China also knows that if it starts firing Nuclear Missiles than USA can supply Taiwan with nuclear missiles to fire at China.

China is not going to launch a nuclear attack on Taiwan.

What would be the purpose of taking over a radioactive wasteland of an Island ?

China will fire conventional Missiles with a powerful payload.

But Taiwan has the latest Arrow II defense systems developed by Israel and USA and spy satellites which will alert it long before any Chinese Invasion Force is established.

This is not the Falklands, any Chinese Invasion build up will be spotted by Spy Satellites.

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

^ But it's the Chinese who put into it in law that if Taiwan declares independence, then the Taiwanese are a dead meat. Bush even said it openely last year when Hu Jintao went to see him that Taiwan is China's territory, simple as that.

What makes you think that the Chinese are that desparate to just jump into Taiwan blindfolded before firing tens of thousands of cruise missiles into it first!

And don't you remember only this January, China shot down one of it's own satelites? There's goes early warning systems for Taiwan.

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

What makes you think Taiwan is not aware of this and Taiwan has the capability from its submarines and missile launchers buried deep in Taiwan's Mountains to launch a retaliatory strike...

▼ Rashid Bhai SMS Wallay ▼
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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

^ Questionable.

However, considering China's quantity in everything. China will make sure first it has 100 screws for one Taiwanese screw.

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

^^ be that as it may, all taiwan needs to do is to cut off the supply ships coming for the invasion force and the whole enterprise is lost

look at the bay of pigs invasion in cuba

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

Merc, what scenario is this that you are talking about?

Last year, Taiwan conducted a similar scenario, and the end result was that Taiwan would be conquered in less than 3.5 weeks.

U.S is only there to scare China; they won't attack. I think you are forgetting that the Chinese right now have the declining U.S economy by the balls.

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Re: Taiwan extends cruise missile range

^^ what scenario was that?

give me link