Trump administration approved sale of upgraded naval electronic warfare system to Taiwan last year
Asia Times
Date: December 10, 2018
By: Asia Times Staff
Taiwan’s Keelung-class destroyers are retrofitted vessels bought from the US. Photo: WikiMedia
Taiwan’s Navy will upgrade the AN/SLQ-32 electronic warfare system on the force’s four Keelung-class guided missile destroyers. The upgrade, with a price tag of NT$1.99 billion (US$65.24 million), is expected to be completed by 2023.
It would enhance the system’s electronic and mechanical countermeasure capabilities to improve the vessels’ survival rate. The previous version of the electronic warfare systems, V-3, has been in use for 13 years.
Systems aboard destroyers of similar classes in service with the US Navy have already been upgraded to the V-6 variant, and the Pentagon has suggested that Taiwan follow suit, according to the Central News Agency. This follows the Trump administration’s approval in June 2017 to sell AN/SLQ-32 upgrades to the self-ruled island.
The AN/SLQ-32 is a shipboard warfare suite built by Raytheon and Hughes Aircraft Company as the primary electronic warfare system in use by US Navy ships.
[FULL STORY]
