New service by Google Maps, higher-quality 3-D maps, accidentally revealed classified Patriot missile bases in Taiwan.
Google’s new higher-quality 3-D maps revealed classified Taiwan’s Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) base in Xindian district, in the southern part of New Taipei City.
The South China Morning Post has reported that Google’s new 3-D maps feature three-dimensional terrain for four major cities in Taiwan: Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, and Taichung, included area with classified Patriot SAM sites.
According to several media reports, Taiwan is in talks with Google to blur images of its most sensitive military sites that have been accidentally revealed to the public through its latest 3D-rendered maps.
Defense infrastructure at the National Security Bureau and the Military Intelligence Bureau were also revealed in detail, according to Taiwan media.
Furthermore, new 3-D images showed that Taiwan already receives recently ordered Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) surface-to-air missiles.
Patriot is a missile defense system consisting of radars, command-and-control technology and multiple types of interceptors, all working together to detect, identify and defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, advanced aircraft and other threats. Patriot is the foundation of integrated air and missile defense for 16 nations.
Patriot has been used by five nations in more than 200 combat engagements against manned and unmanned aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles. Since January of 2015, Patriot has intercepted more than 100 ballistic missiles in combat operations around the world; more than 90 of those intercepts involved the low-cost Raytheon-made Guidance Enhanced Missile family of surface-to-air missiles.