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Taiwan, US count on giant radar system for early warning if PLA attacks
- It would play a key role in an attack across the strait, or if China’s nuclear submarines launched missiles at US bases in Japan and Guam, analysts say
- Critics have called it a facility built for the United States and questioned the cost
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Taiwan’s long-range radar system – which provides early warning of ballistic missiles and warplanes – has become more important for both the self-ruled island and the United States as tensions rise in the region, according to analysts.
They said the powerful radar system on top of a mountain in the island’s north would play a key role in the event of an attack from the People’s Liberation Army – including from its submarine base in the South China Sea, from where it could potentially target US military facilities in Japan and Guam.
The US$1.4 billion Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System, or PAVE PAWS, was built by US company Raytheon and has been fully operational since 2013.
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Located at an altitude of 2,600 metres (8,500ft) on Leshan in Hsinchu county, the giant radar system can detect a missile launched from as far away as 5,000km (3,100 miles) and track projectiles in motion in great detail, even from a distance of 2,000km (1,200 miles) – a range that covers China and the entire South China Sea.
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But there are concerns in Taiwan that the radar system would be a priority target for destruction if the PLA attacked the island. Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory, to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and the sabre-rattling from China has been increasing.
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