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Government
Taiwan
has proposed an additional defense budget of US$40 billion over several years with a focus on developing an air defense system dubbed “T-Dome”.
This system will be designed to protect the island of democracy from potential attacks by Chinese fighter jets, missiles or drones.China itself has long claimed Taiwan as part of its territory and threatened to use force to annex it.
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Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has vowed to speed up construction of the T-Dome to create a “safety net” for his country and counter China’s intensifying threat.
Lai announced the T-Dome on October 10 and the public has compared it with Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system.
Taipei-based security analyst, J. Michael Cole, explained that there are main differences between T-Dome and Iron Dome.The T-Dome is said to face a much greater threat.
“It’s aimed at PLA aircraft, ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as, increasingly, drones,” Cole said, using an acronym for China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Taiwan already has air defense systems, including the United States (US)-made Patriot and the domestically made Sky Bow system.
Taiwan is also waiting to receive National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System units from the US.
T-Dome will integrate the weapon with radar, sensors and other advanced technologies to provide what Lai described as “high-level detection and effective interception.”
“If you do not integrate these detection devices, then these air defense missiles, whether for counter-fire, counter-attack or counter-drone purposes, cannot achieve efficient interception or effective coordination and allocation of fire,” said Taiwan Defense Minister Wellington Koo.
Su Tzu-yun, a military expert at Taipei’s National Defense and Security Research Institute, said the T-Dome will have two main components, a command and control system.
The pair will “collect radar data, identify threats, decide which interceptors to fire and coordinate all units so they react within seconds.”
Another part is the “interceptor layer”, a weapon used to “shoot down incoming threats” at various altitudes.
Learn from Ukraine
Taiwan has learned from Ukraine the importance of having an air defense system that can protect combat troops, critical infrastructure and civilian buildings.
Although Taiwan has upgraded its military over the past decade and has spent billions of dollars on US weapons, it would lose if it entered into conflict with China.
Su said T-Dome gives Taiwan the ability to “neutralize” a sudden Chinese missile attack and will help deter Beijing from attacking.
Su said Chinese warships routinely deployed near Taiwan are capable of firing hundreds of missiles at Taiwan’s airports, radar sites and military bases “within three minutes”.That doesn’t include the hundreds of missiles China has on the ground.
“This is why Taiwan needs an integrated air defense system capable of responding to these emerging challenges,” Su said.
Ragu ready 2027
T-Dome’s readiness depends on various factors, including when the US can deliver the required weapons and technology.Currently Taiwan is waiting for US weapons worth billions of dollars.
The Ministry of Defense has published a list of items it plans to purchase with the new budget, including precision artillery, long-range precision attack missiles, anti-ballistic and anti-tank missiles and unmanned systems.
The opposition-controlled parliament has yet to approve the budget and it is not yet clear what Taiwan will buy from the US, but Lai said there would be “significant” US arms acquisitions.
However, Su said that completing the entire T-Dome architecture before 2027 is impossible.
“System integration and production of new interceptors, missiles, anti-aircraft guns and directed energy weapons will all take time,” Su said.
Readiness doesn’t just depend on delivery, said Drew Thompson, a senior researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University.
“It really depends on how you define effectiveness, how you define readiness, and what goes into the T-Dome,” Thompson said.
“Are they counting war reserve ammunition? Do they have enough missiles stored? Are the missiles distributed?”Thompson said.
And it also requires the military to “learn how to operate” the system.
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