Update | Taiwan launches investigation into deadly navy anti-ship missile misfire
Authorities on the island say petty officer who fired missile was unsupervised at the time, and he set weapon to ‘attack’ mode
Taiwan’s security and military authorities have launched an investigation into how a missile was misfired into the Taiwan Strait on Friday, killing a local fisherman and further straining already tense ties with the mainland.
The navy said seven officers including the petty officer who fired the missile, and navy commander Huang Shu-kuang would be disciplined.
Zhang Zhijun, director of the mainland State Council’s Taiwan Affairs Office, demanded a “responsible” explanation from Taipei, saying the incident was “very serious”. Some military experts also questioned how the misfire could have happened – a missile must clear at least three procedures before it can be fired.
The petty officer on the navy’s Chinchiang (PGC-610) patrol ship fired a Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile from its naval base in Kaohsiung, south of the island, during a drill inspection. He was unsupervised at the time and set the missile to “attack” mode rather than “test”. Two minutes later, the missile landed in waters off the Penghu islands, according to the navy. The navy originally said the missile did not cause any casualties, but later said it hit a fishing boat operating nearby.
Initial findings showed the Hsiang Li Sheng fishing boat was hit and its captain, identified by his family name Huang, was killed
“Initial findings showed the Hsiang Li Sheng fishing boat was hit and its captain, identified by his family name Huang, was killed,” defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi said hours after the incident.