High ranking leaders in both Taiwan and the U.S. have been making visits to the other country recently. In response, China has once again engaged in military exercises around the island. While the situation is tense, it gives fans of military equipment a rare chance to gawk at Taiwan’s wares.
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Military exercises have been ramped up recently in response to President Tsai Ing-wen’s transit through the United States, as well as visits by U.S. lawmakers to Taiwan. Over the weekend, more than 70 Chinese planes and ships crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait, with 35 having entered Taiwan’s southern airspace. It was reported that the closest ships between the Taiwan and Chinese navies were only three nautical miles apart. But the tense situation at sea has also provided some entertainment for military fans, who have flocked to the coast of Southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County. They are coming to catch a peek of anti-ship missile systems known as Hsiung Feng II and III, which are rarely seen in public.
A total of five vehicles carrying the missiles were spotted covered with camouflage tarps. These Taiwan-made systems, known as “ship killers,” can be mounted on both sea and land vehicles. Their appearance drew not only locals but even a reporter from Japan’s Mainichi Broadcasting Systems (MBS).
While some onlookers were fascinated, some admitted the tense military situation made them feel nervous.
While everyone hopes that these missiles don’t need to be used, one can’t help but marvel at the technology.