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First Post
08-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Taiwan military, coast guard conduct drills amid rising ‘grey zone' threat from China
President Lai Ching-te oversaw the drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, which mimicked 'international terrorists' seizing a ferry. The coast guard worked with an interior ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties read more Taiwan's coast guard conducts its annual drill in southern Taiwan, simulating the seizure of a ferry by 'international terrorists', in collaboration with Taiwan's military to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Reuters Taiwan's coast guard and military conducted drills on Sunday to improve collaborative operations in the face of what the Taipei administration describes as a growing 'grey zone' threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory. Taiwan, which is democratically governed, has regularly protested about China's operations near the island, such as underwater cable cutting and sand dredging, which are intended to exert pressure without open conflict. Taiwan's coast guard is frequently the first to respond. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD President Lai Ching-te oversaw the drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, which mimicked 'international terrorists' seizing a ferry. The coast guard worked with an interior ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties. A navy anti-submarine helicopter flew over the scene as the drill ended, along with the medevac and rescue helicopters, the first time they have flown together in such a scenario, the coast guard said. 'Taiwan has been facing constant grey intrusion from China, but our coast guard colleagues have always been on the front line to enforce the law and protect the lives and safety of the people of Taiwan,' Lai told the audience for the drills, which included the top U.S. diplomat in Kaohsiung, Neil Gibson. 'The government will continue to consolidate the strength of all departments and strengthen the resilience of the entire society to defend national security and safeguard Taiwan's democracy and freedom,' Lai said. Taiwan's coast guard, which would be pressed into military service in the event of war with China, is also routinely sent out to shadow Chinese ships during Beijing's war games around the island. The coast guard, like the navy, is in the midst of an expansion and modernisation programme. Its new Anping-class corvettes, which began being commissioned in 2020, are based on the navy's Tuo Chiang-class warships. They are state-of-the-art, highly manoeuvrable stealth vessels meant to take out larger warships while operating close to Taiwan's shores. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Anping-class ships, one of which took part in the drill, have space for launchers for the Taiwan-made Hsiung Feng anti-ship and sea-to-land missiles, as well as added equipment for rescue operations. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.
Yomiuri Shimbun
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Taiwan Coast Guard, Military Drill to Better Face China's ‘Grey Zone' Threat
Reuters Taiwan's coast guard conducts its annual drill in southern Taiwan, simulating the seizure of a ferry by 'international terrorists', in collaboration with Taiwan's military to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, June 8, 2025. KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan, June 8 (Reuters) – Taiwan's coast guard held drills with the military on Sunday to better practice joint operations in the face of what the government in Taipei says is a growing 'grey zone' threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory. Democratically governed Taiwan has repeatedly complained about activities such as undersea cable cutting and sand dredging by China around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation. It is often Taiwan's coast guard that scrambles first to respond. The drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, overseen by President Lai Ching-te, simulated the seizing of a ferry by 'international terrorists'. The coast guard worked with an interior ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties. A navy anti-submarine helicopter flew over the scene as the drill ended, along with the medevac and rescue helicopters, the first time they have flown together in such a scenario, the coast guard said. 'Taiwan has been facing constant grey intrusion from China, but our coast guard colleagues have always been on the front line to enforce the law and protect the lives and safety of the people of Taiwan,' Lai told the audience for the drills, which included the top U.S. diplomat in Kaohsiung, Neil Gibson. 'The government will continue to consolidate the strength of all departments and strengthen the resilience of the entire society to defend national security and safeguard Taiwan's democracy and freedom,' Lai said. Taiwan's coast guard, which would be pressed into military service in the event of war with China, is also routinely sent out to shadow Chinese ships during Beijing's war games around the island. The coast guard, like the navy, is in the midst of an expansion and modernisation programme. Its new Anping-class corvettes, which began being commissioned in 2020, are based on the navy's Tuo Chiang-class warships. They are state-of-the-art, highly manoeuvrable stealth vessels meant to take out larger warships while operating close to Taiwan's shores. The Anping-class ships, one of which took part in the drill, have space for launchers for the Taiwan-made Hsiung Feng anti-ship and sea-to-land missiles, as well as added equipment for rescue operations. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.
Straits Times
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Taiwan coast guard, military drill to better face China's ‘grey zone' threat
The drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung simulated the seizing of a ferry by 'international terrorists'. PHOTO: REUTERS KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan - Taiwan's coast guard held drills with the military on June 8 to better practice joint operations in the face of what the government in Taipei says is a growing 'grey zone' threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory. Democratically governed Taiwan has repeatedly complained about activities such as undersea cable cutting and sand dredging by China around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation. It is often Taiwan's coast guard that scrambles first to respond. The drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, overseen by President Lai Ching-te, simulated the seizing of a ferry by 'international terrorists'. The coast guard worked with an Interior Ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties. A navy anti-submarine helicopter flew over the scene as the drill ended, along with the medevac and rescue helicopters, the first time they have flown together in such a scenario, the coast guard said. 'Taiwan has been facing constant grey intrusion from China, but our coast guard colleagues have always been on the front line to enforce the law and protect the lives and safety of the people of Taiwan,' Mr Lai told the audience for the drills, which included the top US diplomat in Kaohsiung, Mr Neil Gibson. 'The government will continue to consolidate the strength of all departments and strengthen the resilience of the entire society to defend national security and safeguard Taiwan's democracy and freedom,' Mr Lai said. Taiwan's coast guard, which would be pressed into military service in the event of war with China, is also routinely sent out to shadow Chinese ships during Beijing's war games around the island. The coast guard, like the navy, is in the midst of an expansion and modernisation programme. Its new Anping-class corvettes, which began being commissioned in 2020, are based on the navy's Tuo Chiang-class warships. They are state-of-the-art, highly manoeuvrable stealth vessels meant to take out larger warships while operating close to Taiwan's shores. The Anping-class ships, one of which took part in the drill, have space for launchers for the Taiwan-made Hsiung Feng anti-ship and sea-to-land missiles, as well as added equipment for rescue operations. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNBC
08-06-2025
- Politics
- CNBC
Taiwan coast guard, military drill to better face China's 'grey zone' threat
Taiwan's coast guard held drills with the military on Sunday to better practice joint operations in the face of what the government in Taipei says is a growing "grey zone" threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory. Democratically governed Taiwan has repeatedly complained about activities such as undersea cable cutting and sand dredging by China around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation. It is often Taiwan's coast guard that scrambles first to respond. The drills in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, overseen by President Lai Ching-te, simulated the seizing of a ferry by "international terrorists". The coast guard worked with an interior ministry rescue helicopter and army medevac helicopter to board and take back control of the boat and evacuate casualties. A navy anti-submarine helicopter flew over the scene as the drill ended, along with the medevac and rescue helicopters, the first time they have flown together in such a scenario, the coast guard said. "Taiwan has been facing constant grey intrusion from China, but our coast guard colleagues have always been on the front line to enforce the law and protect the lives and safety of the people of Taiwan," Lai told the audience for the drills, which included the top U.S. diplomat in Kaohsiung, Neil Gibson. "The government will continue to consolidate the strength of all departments and strengthen the resilience of the entire society to defend national security and safeguard Taiwan's democracy and freedom," Lai said. Taiwan's coast guard, which would be pressed into military service in the event of war with China, is also routinely sent out to shadow Chinese ships during Beijing's war games around the island. The coast guard, like the navy, is in the midst of an expansion and modernisation programme. Its new Anping-class corvettes, which began being commissioned in 2020, are based on the navy's Tuo Chiang-class warships. They are state-of-the-art, highly manoeuvrable stealth vessels meant to take out larger warships while operating close to Taiwan's shores. The Anping-class ships, one of which took part in the drill, have space for launchers for the Taiwan-made Hsiung Feng anti-ship and sea-to-land missiles, as well as added equipment for rescue operations. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, saying only the island's people can decide their future.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Taiwan Is Testing An Air Launched Supersonic Anti-Ship Missile
Taiwan appears to be moving toward adding a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile to its F-CK-1C/D Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF). The current timeline for the introduction of the air-launched version of the homegrown HF-3 missile is unclear, but when fully integrated, it will provide the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) with a powerful new capability to better counter China's growing naval might. A photo of an F-CK-1 carrying HF-3 missile was recently published by Taiwan's United Daily News. The image, submitted by an anonymous reader of that newspaper, appears to show test rounds of the missile, which is part of the Hsiung Feng, or Brave Wind series. One of the large missiles is carried under each wing. The jet also has a 275-gallon fuel tank under the fuselage and AIM-9P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on the wingtip stations. The HF-3 carries calibration marks, of the kind used to make it easier to monitor a store after launch. UDN published what appears to be the first clear image of an air-launched HF-3 dummy round, if not seems to have a rotating sleeve at the end for initial stabilization? — Taepodong (@stoa1984) February 21, 2025 Liberty Times just published another goes well, it could lend the F-CK-1 a second life, maybe even leading to further development of an indigenous support fighter (ISF) — that is me fantasizing. — Taepodong (@stoa1984) February 21, 2025 The article notes that the ROCAF and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) have resumed work on the air-launched HF-3, 'which was previously reported to have been stalled for a long time.' The NCSIST, which originally developed the HF-3 for launch from warships and ground launchers, is a state research and development agency broadly similar to the Pentagon's DARPA but with its own production capability. Reportedly, work originally began in 2022 to reduce the size of the HF-3 for aircraft carriage, including plans for the production of a small batch of the 'compact' version of the missile. The UDN story notes that, at some point after this, the project was suspended, but work had been restarted by September 2024, with further research and tests conducted 'in the sea and air.' As a result, the air-launched HF-3 should be ready to undergo operational evaluation later this year. The original plan for the air-launched HF-3 was intended to be completed by 2028, although it's not immediately clear if this has since changed as a result of the program pause. According to the UDN report, the air-launched version of the HF-3 is 5.5 meters (18 feet) long, with a diameter of no more than 36 centimeters (14 inches), and a weight of less than 900 kilograms (1,980 pounds). The original HF-3 was 6.1 meters (20 feet) long, with a diameter of 46 centimeters (18 inches), and weighed around 1,400kg kilograms (3,090 pounds). As an air-launched anti-ship weapon, the HF-3 offers several notable advantages over the U.S.-supplied AGM-84 Harpoon otherwise used by the ROCAF in this role — although this is not compatible with the F-CK-1, instead being used by the F-16, as you can read about here. The HF-3's liquid-fuel ramjet motor provides supersonic performance, compared to the subsonic Harpoon. With a top speed of Mach 3.5, the HF-3 is much harder to defend against. Range figures published for the missile differ, with some accounts suggesting a short-range version can hit targets at around 120-150 kilometers (75-93 miles), increasing to 300-400 kilometers (186-249 miles) in long-range form. It's unclear which version the air-launched HF-3 best corresponds to. However, launching the missile from a fast-moving fighter at altitude should help boost overall range regardless. In comparison, the air-launched Harpoon has a range of around 80 miles in the AGM-84L form that is the most capable model operated by the ROCAF. At the same time, air launch obviates the need for separate booster motors to bring the HF-3 up to the speed at which the ramjet can start to operate. According to reports, removing the solid-propellant boosters trimmed around 200 kilograms (440 pounds) from the missile's weight, helping make it more suitable for aircraft carriage. However, further weight and size-reduction measures were still necessary. Like Harpoon, the HF-3 is guided by an inertial navigation system (INS) with terminal active radar homing. In surface/ground-launched form it is armed with a 265-pound high-explosive, semi-armor piercing warhead, although this may well be smaller in the air-launched version. The warhead is reportedly triggered by a smart fuse designed to direct most of the explosive energy downward, into the ship's hull, for maximum destructive effect. Chinese naval forces have been rapidly expanding in recent years, in general, which has already prompted the Taiwanese military to seek a variety of new and improved anti-ship capabilities. Anti-ship missiles launched from the land, from warships, and from ROCAF fighters are already a very important component of Taiwan's defensive plans, designed to thwart a potential Chinese move on the island. In an ROCAF context, TWZ has previously reported: 'The pairing of F-16 and AGM-84 Harpoon is a key element in Taiwan's ability to defend important strategic waterways and territorial claims against a maritime opponent. The ROCAF operates a mix of older Harpoons plus the newer Block II AGM-84Ls.' You can read more about Taiwan's AGM-84s here and about the missile in general in this past TWZ piece. The air-launched HF-3 would be a potent complement to the Harpoon. This is especially true when it comes to pushing anti-ship missile kill zones farther from Taiwan's shores and in a far more unpredictable and responsive manner. However, it would likely be limited to carriage by the F-CK-1, at least in the shorter term. If a war with China were to break out, anti-ship missiles of all kinds would be absolutely critical in providing Taiwan with any hope of slowing an all-out advance by the People's Liberation Army Navy. As such, the continued effort to field a more capable air-launched anti-ship missile is increasingly seen as a necessary deterrent as tensions between Taipei and Beijing continue. Contact the author: thomas@
