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Taiwan radar tracked Chinese missile launch from submarine
🇨🇳 China /Conflict & Security

Taiwan radar tracked Chinese missile launch from submarine

From South China Morning Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Taiwan's early-warning radar system detected a Chinese ballistic missile launch.
  • The AN/FPS-115 Pave Paws radar, bought from the U.S., tracked the missile from a submarine in the South China Sea.
  • The system's long range allows it to monitor mainland China, the South China Sea, and the Korean peninsula, with upgrades for detecting cruise and tactical ballistic missiles.

Taiwan's long-range early-warning radar system, a key component of its defense network, successfully detected and tracked a ballistic missile launched by China from a submarine in the South China Sea. The AN/FPS-115 Pave Paws radar, acquired from the United States, provided critical information about the launch, according to a senior Taiwanese official cited by the Liberty Times.

The radar system, situated at the Leshan Radar Station in northern Taiwan's Hsinchu county, is capable of detecting missile launches up to 5,000 kilometers away. Its extensive range covers mainland China, the South China Sea, and the Korean peninsula. Taiwan has also upgraded its version of the system to enhance its ability to detect low-altitude cruise missiles and tactical ballistic missiles.

The island’s AN/FPS-115 Pave Paws long-range early-warning radar detected the missile soon after it was launched from a nuclear-powered submarine in the South China Sea.

— senior Taiwanese officialDescribing the radar system's detection of the missile launch.

This detection highlights the strategic importance of Taiwan's early-warning capabilities and its intelligence-sharing relationship with Washington in monitoring regional military activities.

The system tracked the missile’s trajectory during the initial phase of flight while it remained within the radar’s coverage.

— senior Taiwanese officialExplaining how the radar system monitored the missile.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by South China Morning Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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