China Builds Up Defenses Against Taiwan

June 19, 2006: China has accelerated the installation of new anti-aircraft radars and missiles along its southeastern coast. This includes Chinese YLC2 3-D radars and Russian S300 anti-aircraft missiles. China has also revamped the air-to-air combat training for its Su-27 pilots, putting much more emphasis on realism, and tactics used by Taiwanese F-16 fighters. China has been working on improving its air defenses for years, but the sudden flurry of activity indicates a sense of urgency. Or maybe someone wants to show off by getting a job done on time, or ahead of schedule.