Information Warfare: China Hides Its Iron Fist

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July 20, 2010:  Despite Chinese diplomatic and media efforts to portray an easing of military tension with Taiwan, the military buildup against Taiwan continues. Taiwanese intelligence officials pointed this out recently. For example, China continues to move ballistic missiles and modern warplanes to bases within range of Taiwan. By the end of the year, China will have nearly 2,000 ballistic missiles aimed at Taiwan. That's ten times more than there were ten years ago, and 50 percent more than just two years ago. Most of these are Dong Feng (DF)-11 and Dong Feng (DF)-15 models. The DF11 (also known as the M11) has a range of 300 kilometers and carries a one ton warhead. The DF15 (M9) has a range of 600 kilometers and carries a half ton warhead. There are also over a thousand Chinese warplanes and over 100,000 troops (including several brigades of paratroopers) available for an attack on the island. The missiles would use high explosive or cluster bomb warheads, and would basically be "bombs" that could not be stopped. Well, that's not exactly the case. Taiwan is investing in an anti-missile system that would negate a large number of the Chinese missiles, but not all of them.

Taiwanese intel has also spotted China converting recently retired jet fighters to pilotless aircraft, to be used in defeating Taiwanese air defense. The Taiwanese Air Force believes that their air bases would be prime targets for Chinese bombers and ballistic missiles. The air force has thousands of engineer troops trained and equipped to repair airstrips that have been hit by Chinese bombs and warheads, and pilots trained to operate from damaged airstrips.

Taiwanese intel also noted that while China has moved amphibious training away from the coast opposite Taiwan, these drills are still carried out elsewhere. While China has halted most of the anti-Taiwan stories in the state-controlled media, the Chinese military has not gotten the word. Military preparations for an invasion of Taiwan continue.

 

 

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