Taiwan's new air defence system will soon enter service
On the left is the TC-2 missile launcher vehicle, while on the right is the associated MPQ-90 Bee Eyes radar. (Charles Au)
Taiwan celebrated its National Day with a military parade in Taipei on 10 October. Despite Beijing trying to dampen the mood of the jubilee – by sending more than 150 sorties of military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone and conducting a military exercise southwest of the democratically ruled nation – Taiwan showed off new equipment.
This included a field air defence system that completed its initial operational test and evaluation earlier this year. Mass production will begin before the end of 2021.
This system integrates three elements: an MPQ-90 Bee's Eyes AESA radar, a ground-based Tien Chien
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