Chinese PLA drill simulating beach assault, Xinhua photo
This week the State Department announced that it has approved the new potential sale of $180 million more in arms for Taiwan, chiefly consisting of anti-tank systems, which the begins the process of Congressional approval next.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said the Volcano system will boost the island’s “asymmetric warfare” capabilities and the sale should take about a month. Crucially the announcement came mid-week, just after on Monday China sent a record number of 71 aircraft to buzz the self-ruled island, which included more than half of these jets breaching the Taiwan Strait median line.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s frequent military activities near Taiwan have posted severe military threats to us,” Taiwan’s defense ministry said, stressing that ongoing US military sales are the “cornerstone of maintaining regional stability and peace.”
Northrop Grumman, as well as Oshkosh Corporation, are named as the principal contractors for vehicle-launched Volcano anti-tank munition-laying systems and related equipment.
The Volcano system disperses multiple anti-tank mines when mine canisters are ejected over a large area. The Volcano is part of efforts to shore up the Taiwan military’s ability to protect its coastline from possible Chinese amphibious landing and invasion.
President Tsai Ing-wen this week vowed to bolster the island’s civil defense systems following the recent repeat Chinese PLA incursions of the island’s Air Defense Identification Zone. “The more preparations we make, the less likely there will be rash attempts of aggression. The more united we are, the stronger and safer Taiwan would become,” Tsai said.
President Biden recently outraged Beijing by signing the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which approves an unprecedented $10 billion in loans for Taiwan to buy US-made arms.
US Army clip showing the Volcano mine-laying system in action…
In response to the new Taiwan funding in the NDAA, China has vowed to keep up the military pressure through drills near the island, which has also of late included naval warships in some instances breaching the Taiwan Strait median line. Beijing officials cited the “the escalating collusion and provocation by the United States and Taiwan.”
So…this pooh flinger turned mine flicker will be programmed into Lancet drones as a priority target on their autonomous target select priority process. Imagine, China launching 10,000 long range, low altitude, loitering munitions prior to making a beach landing, special warheads with phosphorus to smoke out bunkers and paint targets for high altitude bombers to hit with special bunker busters. Taiwan needs to improve it’s air defense, and anti navel batteries, much more so than it’s anti tank capabilities. Useless aid.
Basically a mine launcher on wheels, easy target for drones.
All China needs to do is provide more high tech know how to North Korea (note: not actual high tech weaponry) to bring it’s military to near parity with South Korea, and you’ll have the US (and SK) in a hissy fit.
Two can play this sort of game. China knows that.
American NAZI/LGBTQ weapons sales to rebuild their economy through war but we must wonder what will follow the fall of Taiwan and Ukraine.
It’s interesting how everything is always the short term solution
It’s not that with 4 small mines……. the forces of evil would stop a very powerful army. Call them, if you like, illusions.
Here we go again… the next round of USA’s forever war.
Isn’t there some way Americans could be made to stay in America ? Just sell weapons of war to each other ?
We would need to invent an alien threat so the military industrial complex would arm the world against those and earn money with it.
The solution is to attack every American outside the US.
They would not care less. Look how they treat those living in their own country!
Taiwan needs to realise that the Chinese government will not go in with 100.000 troops and leave it’s air force mostly out of the conflict.
Different to Russia China is still communist. And communists have zero regards for the lives of their own citizens (remember what they call “the great leap ahead). What regard do you think they will have for those they deem as traitors?
China needs no war with Taiwan and would not do anything against thrn unless the USSA keeps biting their ass.
Why taiwan still use china’s flag? Taiwan still has no own flag lol
That shows they are basically the same country, and Taiwan is a region with a different approach but this is where the difference ends. China accepted that and will be happy to let things as they are unless USSA keeps pumping the idea that Taiwan is a different country and wage war to China. USSA is forcing China to do something about it, against Chinese interests and will.
Only a dummy would believe these American weapons would be able to stop China.
useless craps, only for filming