From today's Washington Times:
"The Pentagon has signed off on selling Taiwan advanced warships equipped with Aegis battle-management systems, defense officials said.
It is the first time the Bush administration has agreed to offer Aegis-equipped warships to the island, which are expected to be controversial
because they form the base for advanced U.S. sea-based missile defenses.
In 2001, the administration offered to sell Taiwan Kidd-class destroyers, which, while capable, do not have the same capabilities as the Aegis
ships.
The Aegis battle-management system is built around a large, phased-array radar that allows the system to track hundreds of targets over hundreds
of miles, including satellites in space.
It is the core of the Navy's sea-based missile-defense system, which is expected to be deployed next year. The system uses the Standard SM-3
missile as an interceptor.
Richard Lawless, the deputy assistant defense secretary for East Asia, said last month that the Aegis sale to Taiwan was under consideration.
The need for Taiwanese missile defenses is highlighted by the growing Chinese missile deployments opposite the island. Beijing currently has 450
to 500 missiles targeted on Taiwan".
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Good. And its about time too, considering they were asking for them two years ago. Maby if we had sold them to them then, Beijing probably would of
backed off, and the situation might not have ever became as dangerous as it is now.
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At least the good old PRC can't blowup Taiwan now unless Taiwan's new missile defence system can't block nucleur warheads
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wow, i thought that this missile system was just from the command and conquer games... that's crazy.
The need for Taiwanese missile defenses is highlighted by the growing Chinese missile deployments opposite the island. Beijing currently has 450 to
500 missiles targeted on Taiwan".
now do they mean nukes or what? i know taiwan isn't the big, but would they need that many nukes (if they even are nukes)?
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now do they mean nukes or what? i know taiwan isn't the big, but would they need that many nukes (if they even are nukes)?
No, they are just conventional warheads as far as anybody knows. However, it is probably a given that half or more of them are targeted at civilian
populated areas not having anything to do with the military. The PRC's methods are no big secret. If and when they decide to attack Taiwan, part of
their intentions is to cause massive amounts casualties, so as to make the Taiwanese people more pliable to communist rule (of course they will be
very careful not to hit any useful parts of their valuable industrial complex). It's no different than what N. Korea intends to do to S. Korea, if
given the opportunity.
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