Taiwan's $1. 4bn-radar precisely tracked China's 'surprise' ballistic missile launch
Taiwan's US-made Pave Paws radar system successfully tracked a ballistic missile launch by China in the South China Sea. The incident underscores the strategic importance of Taiwan's early-warning capabilities and its intelligence-sharing relationship with the United States.
Why it matters
Enhanced surveillance capabilities in the Taiwan Strait are critical to regional security and the ongoing geopolitical tension between China and the West.
Taiwan's long-range early-warning radar system played a crucial role in tracking China's recent ballistic missile launch from the South China Sea.Taiwan reportedly shared real-time intelligence with Washington throughout the operation, reflecting deepening defence and intelligence cooperation between the two sides, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.While Beijing has not disclosed the type of missile used, Joseph Wu, secretary general of Taiwan's National Security Council, said it was likely a JL-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).US-made radar detected missile shortly after launchAccording to Taiwan's Liberty Times, citing a senior security official, the AN/FPS-115 Pave Paws early-warning radar detected the ballistic missile soon after it was launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South China Sea.Located at the Leshan Radar Station in Hsinchu County, the radar sits at an altitude of 2,600 metres and has a detection range of up to 5,000 kilometres.The system enables Taiwan to monitor…
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