Senior military officials pointed out today that the first batch of Harpoon missile bodies will arrive in Taiwan before the end of this year, giving priority to improving the key sea control capabilities of the Navy's littoral combat forces. The picture shows that U.S. officials and Boeing recently conducted a combat test project for the shore-mounted Harpoon anti-ship missile system sold to Taiwan and accurately hit target ships on the sea. (Picture: taken from the US Navy website)
[Reporter Luo Tianbin/Reporting from Taipei] After the first batch of two F-16 BLK70 fighter jets arrived in Taiwan, my country's shore-mounted Harpoon missile system (HCDS) purchased from the United States has reached a critical delivery date. Senior military officials pointed out today that the first batch of Harpoon missile bodies will arrive in Taiwan before the end of this year, giving priority to completing the key sea control capabilities of the Navy's littoral combat forces. Pentagon officials previously reiterated at congressional hearings that Taiwan enjoys the highest priority in the world in the delivery of Harpoon missile systems. The production line is operating at full capacity to counter the new asymmetric threats in the Taiwan Strait and ensure that the first batch of key combat capabilities can be delivered as scheduled and of high quality.
In order to build a high-density shore-based anti-ship fire network, the Chinese Navy has spent a total of more than NT$90.2 billion to purchase up to 100 land-launched Harpoon missile coastal defense systems from the United States, including 400 missiles, 4 training bombs, 100 missile launch vehicles and 25 radar trucks. Both launch vehicles and radar vehicles have been successively delivered to Taiwan since the second quarter of 2014. The first batch of Harpoon missile bodies is scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan before the end of this year. As for the quantity of the first batch of missile bodies delivered, is it the rumored 128? Military officials declined to comment.
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This is an old Harpoon missile "trailer" launcher that Boeing provided to Denmark and other countries in the past. It is not the same model sold to Taiwan. The two launchers are completely different in performance design and appearance. (File photo, taken from Boeing’s official website)
Relevant sources said that the Harpoon missile (main body) is currently undergoing mass production operations in various sections, and the first batch will be delivered before the end of the year. The Naval Littoral Combat Command has successively established mobile missile vehicle receiving squadrons for the previously delivered launch vehicles and radar vehicles, and is cooperating with the US plan to implement receiving education and training. In terms of integration of the US-made Harpoon missile system with the Navy's existing observation and control systems, the command and control equipment developed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences will be used, and verification has also been completed.
In order to ensure the actual combat performance of this batch of customized defense equipment, the U.S. Navy and Boeing Company have successfully completed the first land-based live-fire test firing of the system at the Cape Mugu Naval Range in California, USA. In the latest technical verification, this new missile specially built for Taiwan successfully lifted into the air from a land-based launch vehicle and accurately destroyed a target ship on the sea. US information and international military news media pointed out that the entire weapon system and tactical configuration of this test were completely verified for the equipment to be delivered to Taiwan.
The Harpoon missiles purchased by my country are the latest performance-improved "RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II (U)" land-launched anti-ship missiles. This type of missile has powerful electronic countermeasures (ECCM) capabilities and can accurately lock enemy ships in a battlefield environment with strong electronic interference. It is also equipped with sophisticated GPS global positioning guidance and active radar guidance systems. It can not only effectively attack landing groups and aircraft carrier assault groups, but also has the "shore bombardment" capability to attack coastal land military strongholds. The range of this new type of ammunition not only exceeds the 100 kilometers of previous ship-launched models, but its actual effective strike radius is greatly extended, which can cover and choke the choke points of enemy intrusion in the Taiwan Strait.
