Taiwan Straights Tension

[Husky_Khan]

This was announced several days ago but Taiwan has has the official debut of its domestically constructed submarine, the Hai Kun class. It's a Diesel Electric Submarine and the first one... named Hai Kun... will be the first of ten planned to be constructed in its class. Details of it and its lineage are below in this article by HI Sutton for Naval News.

America Providing Advanced Systems For Taiwan's New Submarine - Naval News

Taiwan, which has unveiled its first locally designed submarine, is relying on some key elements of American technology.

www.navalnews.com

The indigenous submarine project has had some controversy due to disagreements over defense strategy. The construction of their own domestic submarines is considered part of Taiwan's 'asymmetric' defense strategy which political critics consider a 'big ticket' item that is overreliant on foreign technology since the submarine has a Dutch lineage and much American technology built into it.

This political fight is almost as complex and interesting as the design, development and intended doctrine the submarine is meant to be part of and is detailed in brief in the article below.

Taiwan’s Homegrown Submarine at the Center of Political Firestorm

Accusations of leaking sensitive information about the submarine program – including to China – have sparked a wave of lawsuits and counter-suits.

thediplomat.com

 

[Jormungandr]

I had no idea they were building their own subs, even if it is basically a retrofitted Dutch design.

Fascinating.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Taiwan to purchase over 10,000 Kestral Anti-Armor Missiles which are produced indigenously by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. This is one of the many preparations Taiwan is making, along with the recent announcement of extending its compulsory military service in many cases from four months to one year starting January 1st of 2024.

Taiwan orders 10,000 Kestrel anti-armor missiles | Taiwan News | 2023-11-04 17:48:00

Conscripts in anti-tank units will be taught to fire shoulder-launched missile | 2023-11-04 17:48:00

www.taiwannews.com.tw

And some data on it.



Apparently this single shot launcher comes in several flavors of munitions including anti-armor and anti-concrete structure for example.

 

[Yinko]

single shot launcher

To be fair, what they mean is that it can shoot one rocket at a time, not that you throw the launcher away after use. And the only reason they can get them so cheaply is that the company that makes them is Taiwanese as well.

 

[Tiamat]

Taiwan to purchase over 10,000 Kestral Anti-Armor Missiles which are produced indigenously by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. This is one of the many preparations Taiwan is making, along with the recent announcement of extending its compulsory military service in many cases from four months to one year starting January 1st of 2024.

Taiwan orders 10,000 Kestrel anti-armor missiles | Taiwan News | 2023-11-04 17:48:00

Conscripts in anti-tank units will be taught to fire shoulder-launched missile | 2023-11-04 17:48:00

www.taiwannews.com.tw

And some data on it.



Apparently this single shot launcher comes in several flavors of munitions including anti-armor and anti-concrete structure for example.

The Taiwanese aren't stupid, they're watching Ukraine, they're watching Gaza, they know which way the winds are blowing now, unfortunately.

 

[Jormungandr]

To be fair, what they mean is that it can shoot one rocket at a time, not that you throw the launcher away after use. And the only reason they can get them so cheaply is that the company that makes them is Taiwanese as well.

I was wondering if it were a "one use and dump" or "one at a time" weapon: Thanks for clarifying.

I've always found the former incredibly wasteful because it's an entire launcher, unless they were manufactured so cheaply that it'd make end war WW2 Germany giddy with excitement (tl;dr: they were literally making guns, explosives, and anti-tank weapons out of scrap, to be used by children, old men, and the infirm, to try to resist the approaching Soviets and Allies at Berlin; a stark contrast to just a few years earlier when their equipment was over engineered but top notch).

 

[Scottty]

The Taiwanese aren't stupid, they're watching Ukraine, they're watching Gaza, they know which way the winds are blowing now, unfortunately.

Considering the extent to which the American Democrat party is said to be in the PRC's pocket, the Taiwanese are probably wise to make their own preparations as much as possible.

 

[Marduk]

I was wondering if it were a "one use and dump" or "one at a time" weapon: Thanks for clarifying.

I've always found the former incredibly wasteful because it's an entire launcher, unless they were manufactured so cheaply that it'd make end war WW2 Germany giddy with excitement (tl;dr: they were literally making guns, explosives, and anti-tank weapons out of scrap, to be used by children, old men, and the infirm, to try to resist the approaching Soviets and Allies at Berlin; a stark contrast to just a few years earlier when their equipment was over engineered but top notch).

To be fair, what they mean is that it can shoot one rocket at a time, not that you throw the launcher away after use. And the only reason they can get them so cheaply is that the company that makes them is Taiwanese as well.

Apparently it is disposable.

Taiwan Army orders additional Kestrel anti-tank weapon systems

Taiwan's Republic of China Army (RoCA) has ordered an additional 5,962 Kestrel individual shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon systems (ATWSs) from state-owned National...

www.janes.com

According to Janes Weapons: Infantry, the Kestrel individual weapon – developed by NCSIST – is a manportable, shoulder-fired, disposable rocket launcher.

The plastic launchers are dirt cheap, at least compared to the rocket. Both USA and Soviets made disposable ones in Cold War and they are still used.
They also offer a good comparison to this weapon.

M72 LAW - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

2.5 kg and foldable to 2/3 the length. Nearly identical caliber and performance, maybe a little less effective range. I wonder why it's so fucking heavy. 5 kg vs 2.5kg for latest M72's.
Sure, it looks like it has better ergonomics than the old ones, but the sheer weight is not justified by that.
It's also not cheaper than M72.
Though wikipedia has a tiny bit of information that may explain what the hell are they thinking.

Kestrel (rocket launcher) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Yes, apparently there is a guided version in the works, similar to Javelin or more likely NLAW. So they may be trying to start up some production and training pipeline with a "dumb" model that's not very competitive in itself and later will probably be put into reserve storage, and plan to shift the production to a variant using a guided rocket later, which would explain the need for better ergonomics and range performance, as the soldier holding the guided variant will need to use the launcher before, or possible also after launch, to give direction or lock-on to the missile, potentially way beyond current maximum range, depending on chosen guidance method.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Early Design Models of Taiwan's planned production of new Navy Corvettes.

 

[Husky_Khan]

China trying to ramp up pressure on the Philippines before the US and Japan are able to more permanently establish a presence in the Philippines Batanes Island which is only two hundred kilometers south of Taiwan and straddling the Bashi Straight between the two countries.

Philippines arming up for D-Day with China - Asia Times

MANILA – Wu Shicun, chairman of China’s state-funded Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, fired a shot across the Philippines’

asiatimes.com

The Philippines is currently enhancing military cooperation and basing rights with the USA and Japan under recent Enhanced Security Cooperation Agreements and has been courting a wide variety of nations for upgrading and advancing its own military capabilities. It recently hosted twenty different Indian military contractors as well as accepted the delivery of Indian made BrahMos Supersonic Missiles, is in discussion with France over purchasing submarines as well as future French basing/access rights and French participation in Filipino military exercises. The Philippines and Sweden are also in discussion over the possible purchase of fighter jets and other aircraft to modernize the formers Air Force. There's also discussions with Spain and South Korea over future defense purchases.

This comes in the wake of China considering the Philippines a "Special Partner" during the Duterte Administration and Marcos Jr fruitless visit to mainland China which apparently got the Philippines nothing except promises to fulfill billions in promised infrastructure development made during the Duterte Administration and which China took advantage of to increase pressure on their maritime interests in the region.

 

[The Whispering Monk]

The US Coast Guard is intercepting and boarding Chinese 'fishing' vessels in the Pacific too.

 

[Yinko]

Apparently the US is now having a permanent deployment in Taiwan for special forces to help train the Taiwanese. Though, of course, "training" has often been used in the past as an excuse to move troops into an area. Still, interesting development.

 

[Zachowon]

It is SF.
It'd thier job to train forieng nations

 

[Lord Sovereign]

So then, how far off from War do you think we are? Because I’m reckoning it’s pretty damn close. China is getting more and more aggressive with each passing year, and Xi Jinping is a halfway unpopular (given that there were full blown protests a little while back, he is not as popular as he’d like us to think) Mad Emperor to boot.

 

[Jormungandr]

Desperation, I think, is going to be the deciding factor -- Either the CCP, Xi himself, or the deluded elements of the Chinese people.

It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to "pull an Argentina" (distracting the populace at home with a war/way to try to boost national pride).

 

[Lord Sovereign]

It wouldn't surprise me if they tried to "pull an Argentina" (distracting the populace at home with a war/way to try to boost national pride).

I think that’s precisely what’s going to happen, and it’ll go even more apocalyptically wrong for China than it did for Argentina. Not to mention Taiwan is a tad better defended than the Falklands were in the first place…

 

[Zachowon]

Phillipines looks to be a target more then Taiwna.
Or both

 

[Scottty]

Phillipines looks to be a target more then Taiwna.
Or both

Because in some ancient map it was claimed hundreds of years ago by some Chinese regime?

 

[Typhonis]

Because in some ancient map it was claimed hundreds of years ago by some Chinese regime?

That is the excuse they will use even when the 'ancient document' they provide reeks of tea.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Approximately $8 billion of the recent bill passed in Congress will be going to strengthen Taiwan's defensive capabilities.

Breaking News: US Grants $8B in Military Aid to Taiwan to Counter China's Threats in Indo-Pacific Region | Defense News April 2024 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2024 | Archive News year

Breaking News: US Grants $8B in Military Aid to Taiwan to Counter China's Threats in Indo-Pacific Region

www.armyrecognition.com

This reportedly includes $3.3 billion in "submarine enhancements" for the new Hai Kun class of submarines including masts and periscopes from L3 Harris, a combat management system from Lockheed Martin, and a bow sonar array from Raytheon.

Details on the rest of the aid hasn't been publicly disclosed yet but is believed to also include drones including possibly MQ-9 Reapers, and significant amounts of small arms ammunition.

As part of a separate earlier package from 2019, Taiwan is also expected to receive the first of its M1A2T Main Battle Tanks in June, the first of 108 that have been ordered.