AVENGER SURFACE-TO-AIR MISSILES DEPLOYED IN TAIPEI: MND
2004-03-16 15:27:16
Taipei, March 16 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense confirmed Tuesday that a number of Avenger surface-to-air missiles have been deployed in Taipei City and around the greater Taipei area since late last year.
Defense ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Huang Suey-sheng said at a regular defense ministry news conference that a number of Avenger missile units have been in positions around Taipei since last December under a security contingency program.
Noting that all of the nation's weaponry deployments are conducted after thorough planning and in accordance with strategic needs, Huang said the Avenger missiles are only to increase the country's security preparedness and their deployment poses no threat to the general public.
However, Huang declined to disclose exactly how many Avenger missiles are in and around Taipei and whether the deployment is temporary or permanent, saying that the information is classified.
According to defense ministry sources, Taiwan ordered the Avenger ground-to-air missiles from the United States in 1996 and delivery was made secretly before the March 18 presidential election in 2000.
The Avenger missiles, a pedestal-mounted system with two pods -- each containing four Stinger missiles - is designed to be mounted on the back of a Humvee and requires only two crew members to fire -- a driver and a gunner. The Avenger has an effective range of 10 kilometers.
The missiles have been attached to the air defense arms of each of Taiwan's three field armies.
Taiwan's extensive air defense shield is composed of U.S.-made Patriot, Hawk and Chaparral missiles, as well as indigenously produced "Tien Kung" missiles, which are deployed around Taiwan and its outlying islands.
(By Deborah Kuo)
ENDITEM/mw
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