- Taiwan's military will evaluate the use of US-provided missiles after problems during recent drills.
- Only seven of the 17 TOW missiles fired hit their targets.
Taiwan's military is planning a meeting to reevaluate the use of US-made anti-tank missiles after the weapons saw low accuracy during drills earlier this week, per local reporting.
The recent exercises were aimed at acquainting troops with the weapons, which could be used to bolster Taiwan's defenses against a potential Chinese invasion.
On Wednesday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said it would reevaluate the use of the tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided (TOW) 2A missiles after many of the weapons fired during the recent training missed their targets, per Taiwan News.
Only seven of the 17 TOW missiles used during the two-day exercises accurately hit their target. It's unclear if the problem was the weapon or the operator.
In response to concerns raised about the weapon's accuracy during the training exercise, Taiwanese military officials said the point of the exercise was to help soldiers become familiar with the weapons rather than accuracy and proper performance, per CNA. The meeting on the missiles is expected to be held next week.
Monday and Tuesday's exercises, which were carried out on a beach in southern Pingtung county near the Taiwan Strait, focused on Taiwan training to use the TOW missiles to target what, in a real war, would be Chinese amphibious assault vehicles. The goal was to help Taiwan's soldiers prepare for what a Chinese invasion could look like.
During the drills, Taiwanese troops fired older TOW missiles from newer launchers on M1167 Humvees toward floating targets, launching weapons in the day and night. Taiwan has bought 1,700 missiles and 100 launchers from the US, with the delivery expected to be completed later this year.
During the #ROCArmedForces anti-armor weapon fire drill at night, the tracks of TOW missiles resembled beams of light. pic.twitter.com/mwb2u3CWFX
— 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, R.O.C. (@MoNDefense) August 27, 2024
The appeal of TOW missiles is their mobility and flexibility. With launchers mounted on military vehicles, like Humvees, Taiwan can easily drive its anti-tank weapons along its beaches to target a potential Chinese invasion force.
Taiwan faces a range of threats from China, from invasion to blockade. Analysts looking at these threats have often discussed the need for Taiwan to employ lower-cost, asymmetric weapons, such as sea mines, in order to deter China's large and well-equipped military. But conventional assets are also key.
Taiwan is also hard at work on a domestically built submarine force, earmarking billions of dollars in its upcoming budget to build seven more vessels in the next 14 years.