Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-15
By: Samuel Hui

At the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, which is running from Aug. 13-16, the

The Coastal Defense Rocket Remote Weapon System designed for the coastal defense of Taiwan.(Photo/Samuel Hui)

Republic of China Army is displaying its latest weapons systems, which would be deployed should the People’s Liberation Army try and bring the fight to mainland Taiwan. The ROC Navy and Air Force also showed what tools they have in their arsenal to defeat the PLA’s naval and air forces in asymmetrical warfare.

The Sea Oryx Missile System, developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, is one of the few new weapon systems the ROC Navy displayed during this year’s exhibition. Based on the Sky Sword I air-to-air missile, the missile can be equipped aboard the ROC Navy’s Tuo River-class corvette in order to intercept enemy aircraft and missiles.

Also, a promotional video showed how a Tuo River-class corvette could sink a Type 052D guided missile destroyer after taking out two Kh-31 anti-ship missiles and two Su-30 fighters.     [FULL  STORY]

Want China Times
Date: 2015-08-02
By: CNA

Taiwan’s Navy is planning to upgrade its fleet of S-70C anti-submarine helicopters in an

An S-70C anti-submarine helicopter in January 2014. (Photo/Chen Chi-chuan)

effort to maintain the country’s self-defense capabilities, a military source confirmed Saturday.

“The Navy has a plan to upgrade its 18 S-70Cs, but is still working out the details of the program,” the military official told CNA.

The official’s remarks confirmed a report in Saturday’s edition of the Liberty Times, a local Chinese-language newspaper.

Citing an unnamed military official, the report said the military has decided to spend about NT$800 million (US$25.3 million) on upgrading the Navy’s S-70Cs.

In order to strengthen the Navy’s anti-submarine capabilities in the face of China’s military threat, the military has decided to commission Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation from the United States to carry out the program, which will upgrade the engines on some of the helicopters and add emergency lighting equipment to all S-70Cs, the report said.     [FULL  STORY]

Asia One
Date: Jul 22, 2015

TAIPEI – The ongoing military recruitment drive is going smoothly as more than 20,000

Photo: AFP

Taiwanese youths have applied to join the R.O.C. Armed Forces so far this year, the Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced yesterday.

According to statistics released by the MND, a total of 23,599 men and women applied to join the Taiwan military between January and July 16 this year.

The MND ultimately recruited 9,939 of the applicants, said Major General Liu Ching-chung of the MND’s Human Resources Division during a news briefing yesterday.

The number of recruits means the MND has reached 70 per cent of its pre-set annual recruitment goal this year, Liu added.

Meanwhile, of the 3,803 voluntary soldiers who were scheduled to be discharged this year, 2,592 of them, or 68 per cent, decided to extend their service.     [FULL  STORY]