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Taiwan to develop 'blackout bomb': report
Taipei (AFP) Oct 21, 2007 Taiwan is to develop a non-lethal graphite bomb designed to disable rival China's power supplies, it was reported Sunday. Should war break out, the so-called "blackout bombs" would be carried by Hsiungfeng 2E cruise missiles to paralyse the power systems of China's southeastern coastal cities, the United Daily News said. The bombs work by sprinkling a cloud of chemically treated carbon fibres over power supplies, causing them to short-circuit, but without killing people. If approved by parliament, the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology -- Taiwan's top arms research unit -- would begin research and development of the weaponry at a cost of up to 500 million Taiwan dollars (15.34 million US), beginning next year, according to the report. Taiwan's defence ministry declined to comment on the claims. Reports said the United States used the graphite bomb against Iraq in the Gulf War, wiping out 85 percent of its electrical supply. Rocky relations between Taiwan and China look set to continue after the island's independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian dismissed an offer of a peace treaty with China, saying it would be like agreeing to "a treaty of surrender." Speaking to the International Herald Tribune last week, Chen said China's call for the signing of a peace agreement with Taipei under the term of "one China principle" last week was made in terms that made it unacceptable. Hu made what he called the "solemn appeal" in a keynote speech at the opening of the Chinese Communist Party's five-yearly Congress in Beijing on Monday last week, but insisted independence for the island would never be tolerated. Taiwan and China split in 1949 after a civil war, and while the island has since governed itself, Beijing considers it part of its own territory awaiting reunification. China has repeatedly threatened to invade the island should it declare formal independence, prompting Taiwan to acquire advanced weaponry, largely from the United States. Taiwan earlier this month flexed its military muscle, showing off two home-developed missiles in a rare parade seen as a reminder to China that it has the means to defend itself. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com
Thompson Files: C-130 lessons -- Part 1
Arlington, Va. (UPI) Oct 18, 2007 When an aircraft has performed diverse missions for dozens of countries over several decades, many lessons are learned. It is important for policymakers to understand why the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules air transport has been so useful for so long, and how it manages to remain relevant in a world so different from the one in which it was first conceived. |
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