Sparrow missiles excluded from live-fire exercises
ROC Central News Agency
2012/06/26 16:31:18
Taipei, June 26 (CNA) Sparrow missiles will not be deployed in a planned live-fire missile exercise next month, military spokesman Luo Shou-he confirmed Tuesday, pointing out that there is no rule that stipulates the missile types the military must put on show in such displays.
Luo was responding to media inquiries about a news report that the medium-range guided missile has been excluded from exercises scheduled for July after misfires took place in January 2011 during an exercise attended by President Ma Ying-jeou.
In military precision shooting drills, "not every missile has to be test-fired," Luo said. He declined to comment on an investigation by the military into why the U.S.-made ordnance failed in the 2011 tests.
Air Force authorities said they had not received any reports from the U.S. on the problematic missiles. However, the U.S. military has requested countries that have bought the Sparrow missiles not to fire them during military exercises in order to lower training risks.
The July live-fire exercise is scheduled to take place at the Jioupeng military base in Pingtung County, southern Taiwan.
Missiles expected to be used in the test-firing include the Hellfire, the Hsiung Feng II, the Sky Sword I and II, the Magic and the Maverick, according to the military.
(By Chen Pei-huang and Elizabeth Hsu)
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