Taiwan to be first foreign nation to acquire Patriot missiles

LONDON -- Taiwan may be the first country to possess the U.S.-made Patriot ground-to-air missiles, used in the 1991 Gulf War to defend Israel against missile attacks from Iraq.

The Taiwan-based United Daily News quoted unidentified military officials on Tuesday as saying the army plans to test the Patriot missiles by the middle of next year in southeast Taiwan, making Taiwan the first army to fire the weapons outside the United States. Japan has tested the missiles at sites in the U.S.

The China Times has also reported that last year, a U.S. military inspection team approved Taiwan's plans to test the Patriots.

The Defense Ministry refused to comment on the report.

The Patriots are now considered crucial to the defense of Taiwan against a missile attack from nearby China.

To date, Taiwan has spent more than US$385 million to deploy 200 Patriot missiles in the Taipei area.

In another development, the Russian-manufactured destroyer, 956E, built for the Chinese navy by the Severnaya Shipyards based in St. Petersburg, sailed for China on Monday.

The destroyer is equipped with the Moskit anti-ship system with two launchers for supersonic anti-ship missiles and the Shtil multi-channel anti-aircraft system.

A second 956E destroyer is scheduled to be handed over to the Chinese navy in the year 2000 and more sales are expected.