Taipei, July 18 (CNA) The air force's first combat control center, which is responsible for monitoring military activity in the skies over southeastern mainland China and northern Taiwan, opened to journalists for the first time on Tuesday.
The center, also known as the Sungshan radar station, is located at the summit of Mount Chihsing, 3,000 feet above sea level. The high altitude offers the center good panoramic vision to realize its monitoring and combat control functions.
It was the first time that the Ministry of National Defense (MND) had invited military beat reporters to visit the country's maximum-security air defense stronghold on the outskirts of metropolitan Taipei.
Observers said the center's unprecedented media exposure was designed to enhance public confidence in the military's defense capability in the face of mainland China's mounting missile threat, and to win parliamentary support for a bigger slice of the government "budget pie" for military build-up projects in the new fiscal year.
In line with Taiwan's acquisition of US-made E-2T Hawkeye airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, the center is now equipped with a Hawkeye link system that can conduct real time tactical information exchanges.
Moreover, the Hawkeye link system can also connect with long-range early-warning radar systems and the Aegis combat operation system.
The Republic of China Air Force now has four AWACS aircraft and the United States has agreed to deliver two more between 2002 and 2005. But it remains uncertain whether the Pentagon will provide Taiwan with warships equipped with the state-of-the-art Aegis combat system.
The air force has a total of four combat control centers -- Sungshan, Loshan (in Hsinchu County some 112 km south of Taipei), Tahanshan (in Pingtung County in southern Taiwan) and Makung (on the offshore island county of Penghu).
Military sources said similar Hawkeye link systems have also been installed at the Loshan, Tahanshan and Makung combat control centers. The air force opened the Loshan center to visiting journalists in January 1990.
The first combat control center was originally located at Shihmen township in Taipei County. During that period, the center successfully commanded the air force to shoot down a total of 18 mainland China's MiG-15, MiG-17 and MiG-19 fighters in the 1950s. It was moved to its current site in 1968.
Col. Chung Cheng-han, director of the Sungshan control center, said the center's three-dimensional radar system can search, monitor and survey the altitude and distance of any invading aircraft. All officers and men stationed at the center work on a three-shift, round-the-clock duty system, he added.
According to Chung, the center monitors mainland Chinese military activities in the southeastern coastal mainland area round-the-clock and commands air, missile and artillery units on air-defense operations. (By Sofia Wu)
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