Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

tupolevtu144

Junior Member
Registered Member
Is the official designation TC-2N? or is it HC-2 as above? Kind of silly to change Sky Sword to Sea Sword, but not be consistent in English translation...

Also looks like the Bee Eye mounting necessitates the removal of the Phalanx
That ship is basically a landing ship that's currently used as a weapons/systems testing platform so it doesn't have a Phlanx.
 

supersnoop

Major
Registered Member
That ship is basically a landing ship that's currently used as a weapons/systems testing platform so it doesn't have a Phlanx.
I was referring to the pic you posted of 619.

However, I made a mistake. I thought the 2nd bubble was to the right of the radar mast, but actually the rear has been changed quite a bit. The pedestal now hosts the radar and the Phalanx has been pushed to the edge. Also the barrels were covered by a tarp, so it played tricks on my eyes.

The large central missile launching space of the corvette is just begging for VLS. Looks really half-complete as is.
 

plawolf

Lieutenant General
Not really because the TC-2N has an additional rocket booster:

TC-2N:
View attachment 73230

Ordinary air-to-air TC-2:
View attachment 73231

Close up of the booster:
View attachment 73232
Those boosters drop off seconds after launch, and are only for the initial lift off. After the boost drops, the missile is still only going to be a few hundred metres above sea level and not up to full cruise speed. What more, pretty much all AAM derived SAMs use such boosters and they all have reduced range compared to their air launched versions.

Compare that to air launched when the missile is released at high altitude and potentially at supersonic speeds if the launch fighter is launching it correctly and you can easily see that there will still be a significant range reduction.
 

tupolevtu144

Junior Member
Registered Member
So there has been some new developments regarding Taiwan's military modernization program:

The Taiwanese Navy has formally purchased 32 sets of Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems, total cost NTD$ 39075606478. While only 32 sets of said system are currently purchased, the Biden Admin is seeking to sell 100 sets of HCSD systems to Taiwan. Meanwhile the Taiwanese Navy is estimated to have all 32 HCDS (and an estimated 128 Harpoon missiles) systems in service by 2025. Whether the Taiwanese Navy will purchase all 100 systems is still unconfirmed (but its very likely it still will) due to a raise in cost. If all 100 systems are purchased then the Taiwanese Navy will have an additional combat-ready 400 mobile Harpoon missiles deployed all around Taiwan's coast.

The Taiwanese Army has also formally purchased an undisclosed amount of HIMARS systems, total cost NTD$9622666593.

Data acquired from reliable sources of Taiwanese media. I've checked quite a lot of sources so I'm not gonna post them here.
 

voyager1

Captain
Registered Member
So there has been some new developments regarding Taiwan's military modernization program:

The Taiwanese Navy has formally purchased 32 sets of Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems, total cost NTD$ 39075606478. While only 32 sets of said system are currently purchased, the Biden Admin is seeking to sell 100 sets of HCSD systems to Taiwan. Meanwhile the Taiwanese Navy is estimated to have all 32 HCDS (and an estimated 128 Harpoon missiles) systems in service by 2025. Whether the Taiwanese Navy will purchase all 100 systems is still unconfirmed (but its very likely it still will) due to a raise in cost. If all 100 systems are purchased then the Taiwanese Navy will have an additional combat-ready 400 mobile Harpoon missiles deployed all around Taiwan's coast.

The Taiwanese Army has also formally purchased an undisclosed amount of HIMARS systems, total cost NTD$9622666593.

Data acquired from reliable sources of Taiwanese media. I've checked quite a lot of sources so I'm not gonna post them here.
They are basically building Taiwan to become a fortress.

Going to stink if Taiwan has so many mobile launchers and China intents to invade it
 

tupolevtu144

Junior Member
Registered Member
They are basically building Taiwan to become a fortress.

Going to stink if Taiwan has so many mobile launchers and China intents to invade it
well the current doctrine of the taiwanese military is to eliminate all invading forces on the sea and the beaches
 

plawolf

Lieutenant General
They are basically building Taiwan to become a fortress.

Going to stink if Taiwan has so many mobile launchers and China intents to invade it

Why? Mobile AShM launchers are not magic and die just as easily to missiles and bombs; and need active radar guidance to engage long range.

Harpoons are also simple subsonics and the easiest type of AShM to intercept even if any do managed to get launched.

The PLAN would be more concerned by the supersonic HFs Taiwan has developed indigenously, so the more money Taiwan wasted buying harpoons at exorbitant rates, the fewer HFs they can afford and the happier the PLAN will be.
 

voyager1

Captain
Registered Member
Why? Mobile AShM launchers are not magic and die just as easily to missiles and bombs; and need active radar guidance to engage long range.

Harpoons are also simple subsonics and the easiest type of AShM to intercept even if any do managed to get launched.

The PLAN would be more concerned by the supersonic HFs Taiwan has developed indigenously, so the more money Taiwan wasted buying harpoons at exorbitant rates, the fewer HFs they can afford and the happier the PLAN will be.
Quantity has its own quality. Yes they are "old" tech. But they are still missiles. They can still hit a ship and sink it. And its not like the PLAN has unlimited magazine depth to intercept them.

The more these systems are introduced, the more complex a military conflict will be.

Yes PLAN would most likely be ok, but thats another thing they have to worry about. We will see what other systems the US is planning to sell Taiwan
 
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