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Taiwan
Sam06
Member Posts: 21,244 ✭✭✭✭
How many here think Taiwan has nuclear weapons?
I do.
They have detonated at least 2 since 1986. One was a 1/6 scale on Taiwan the other was with South Africa and Israel.
RLTW
Comments
Sam, nuke technology is darn near 80 years old. Wouldn't surprise me too much.
Someone there has one and it may have been home built. Those folks can build just about anything.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
Sam, a question... Are the nukes you say Taiwan has home grown or are they ones that the U.S. deployed there in the mid '50's?
Yes
The important point is, do they have a reliable delivery system for those nukes they may or may not have. Also if they used what is probably the very limited few that they may have, China would respond and sink that poor little island. Nukes would be a major disaster and not a solution. Xi needs a victory, not a disaster that would make him more unpopular at home and abroad. Bob
China is going to have a much more difficult time trying to take Taiwan than Russia has had trying to take Ukraine.
I think they are home grown or at least were part of the South African program. I would bet they don't have many, maybe 3-5 and they are not big ones but they could be used in a tactical situation like against the Chicoms new "aircraft Carrier" or a large landing force.
Taiwan is where WW3 will start.
Taiwan does have nuclear technology and 3 nuclear power plants online.
However In my opinion, they do not have nukes as weapons.
The strongest evidence to support that position, is they do not have a delivery vehicle.
The most capable delivery vehicle they potentially have is the Yun Feng cruise missile. It can hit Chinese mainland but not Bejing. It also only carries a 500lb warhead.
Next, Taiwanese military strategy is well known as the Porcupine Doctrine. Defensive Asymmetric warfare from every building, mountain and tunnel across their nation.
They are not the United States, they simply can’t afford to develop secret nukes.
Here I am at some hot springs in Taiwan from one of many visits I have made through the years.
I'm not a Taiwan expert, but I agree with Warbird's analysis. Taiwan's military strategy is 100% defense, and nukes are not defensive weapons. Nor do they have a delivery system, excepting aircraft using gravity bombs - which is dubious.
Im a bit amazed this topic didn’t gather much interest.
Cricket time
I have a couple of shirts that say "Made in Taiwan" on their labels.
Taiwan is a lot like South Korea: two economic capitalist powerhouses that their neighboring Commie countries both hate and covet. Hate because they demolish communist ideology and covet because of their immense riches.