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TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan has begun mass production of a long-range missile and is developing three other models, a senior official said on Thursday, in a rare admission of efforts to develop strike capacity amid growing Chinese pressure. China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has stepped up military activity near the island, as it tries to force the government in Taipei to accept Beijing's claims of sovereignty. Taiwan's armed forces, dwarfed by China's, are in the midst of a modernisation programme to offer a more effective deterrent, including the ability to hit back at bases deep within...

An upgraded ballistic rocket was reportedly launched Tuesday from the Gaza Strip into the Mediterranean sea, presumably to test the weapon’s capabilities and range. The test caused loud explosion sounds that were audible in Israeli towns and cities adjacent to the Gaza border, Channel 2 reported. The rocket was an improved version of the M-75 missile with a slightly longer range and a larger warhead, the report said. Other Israeli news outlets, citing the army, attributed the explosion sounds to ultrasonic booms caused by Israeli jets that were participating in a drill.

(CNN) — Iran test fired a long-range Shahab-3 missile on Monday, state-run Press TV reported.

Activity at N.Korean Test Sites Intensifies North Korea has been speeding up construction of a new long-range missile test site in Tongchangri, North Pyongan Province. And vehicles and personnel are busily moving around in Kilju, North Hamgyong Province, where the North conducted an underground nuclear test in 2006, showing signs of preparations for another. "The North has recently been speeding up construction at the test site in Tongchangri by deploying more equipment and personnel," a South Korean government official said Wednesday. "We expected the North would complete construction sometime late this year, but it now seems that it could be...

North Korea has reacted angrily to criticism of its plans to launch a rocket in the coming weeks, saying its space programme is not up for negotiation. The North claims the rocket, being prepared for lift off from the Musudan-ni launch facility near the country's east coast, will put its experimental Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite into orbit. But intelligence agencies in the US, South Korea and Japan say they believe the launch is cover for a test of a long-range missile. In comments carried on state media on Friday, North Korea lashed out at critics warning against going ahead with the launch,...

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N. Korea has quietly built long-range missile base Posted: Wednesday, Sep. 10, 2008 WASHINGTON North Korea has quietly built a long-range missile base that is larger and more capable than an older and well-known launch pad for intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to independent analysts relying on new satellite images of the site and other data. Analysts provided images of the previously secret site to The Associated Press. Construction on the site on North Korea's west coast began at least eight years ago, according to Joseph S. Bermudez, Jr., senior analyst with Jane's Information Group, and Tim Brown with Talent-keyhole.com, a...

N. Korean Long-range Missile Aims For U.S.-S. Korea Alliance American Enterprise Institute July 13, 2006 [Edited transcript from audio tapes] 9:00 Panel I: China & North KoreaPanelists: Randall Schriver, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Nicholas Eberstadt, AEIJacqueline Newmyer, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard UniversityModerator: Gary Schmitt, AEI [Start Panel I: China and North Korea] Nicholas Eberstadt: North Korea has a way of keeping itself in the news. Usually, when North Korea is in the news, it is not for very happy reasons, at least for those of us who are not...