Taiwan is preparing to radically increase its arsenal of powerful anti-ship missiles, the number of which should exceed 1,800 by early 2029. In this way, the island seeks to strengthen its ability to counter the growing threat of a military blockade or full-scale invasion by China.
Ukraine's experience and asymmetric strategy
The expansion of missile capabilities is part of Taiwan's transition to a so-called «asymmetric strategy». Its essence is to offset China's enormous firepower advantage with a large number of relatively affordable but deadly weapons. About this reports Reuters based on its own calculations, arms trade data and interviews with government officials.
In addition to long-range missiles, the emphasis is on short-range missiles, as well as on Swarms of airborne and surface drones. Current and former Taiwanese military officers point out that the island is adopting the successful experience of Ukraine and Iran, which have used missiles and drones to level the playing field in confronting much more powerful opponents. The main goal is to withstand China's first massive air and missile strike, maintain combat capability and deliver a crushing blow to the invading fleet.
«Death Zone» for the Chinese Navy
The basis of Taiwan's anti-ship fist is the US Harpoon missile and indigenously produced Hsiung Feng missiles. In addition, Taiwan's opposition parliament has recently approved an additional $25 billion in defence spending to purchase US munitions, which will provide high-precision, long-range missiles to strike Chinese ships right in their ports of deployment.
«Our goal is to prevent them from landing on the coast and completing their mission, not to destroy every single ship of the Chinese army,» explained Ow Si-fu, deputy executive director of Taiwan's main military think tank (INDSR).
According to him, such a concentration of weapons will create a real «death zone» in the Taiwan Strait, where Chinese forces will suffer critical losses in the event of an attack.
