An extended-range version of the Tien Chien II “Sky Sword” air-to-air missile has undergone successful testing and is to arm the air force’s Indigenous Defense Fighter jets, a defense official said on condition of anonymity.
Tien Chien II, or TC-2, was originally developed as a family of air-to-air missiles that could be launched from army, navy and air force platforms.
The new TC-2C missiles have an extended effective range of 100km, up from 60km, as well as increased precision, the official said, adding that the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology performed the tests.
Photo: Yu Tai-lang, Taipei Times
The Indigenous Defense Fighter jets, which equip two air force tactical fighter wings, have undergone fleetwide improvements that increased their weapons load from two to four Tien Chien II missiles, the official said, adding that carrying four TC-2C missiles significantly increases the firepower of the jets.
The Chungshan Institute is also developing the TC-2N, a dedicated naval version of the Tien Chien II missile that could be fired from warships’ vertical launch systems or other systems, the official said.
The TC-2N is the planned successor for the MIM-72 Chaparral missiles that the navy’s La Fayette-class frigates are equipped with, the official said.
The navy would begin replacing the missiles from 2020, Navy Chief of Staff Lee Tsung-hsiao (李宗孝) last week told the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.
The TC-2N would be a vast improvement on the obsolete and short-range MIM-72, sources said.
The Chungshan Institute has been improving the performance of all Tien Chien II missile variants, the official said, adding that the air force and navy were happy with the new missile prototypes, but the army has not shown interest.
Chinese-language Up Media yesterday said that the Ministry of National Defense is soon to declare the extended-range variant of Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) cruise missiles ready for mass production.
The HF-2E extended-range surface-to--surface cruise missile has an effective range that exceeds 1,000km, compared with 600km for the older HF-2E.
The weapon was successfully tested for deployment in 2008, and its performance and range have been improved since then, the Web site said.
The ministry is considering three proposals to field and integrate the HF-2E extended-range missiles, and is to submit a brief to President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) for her consideration before initiating mass production, it said.
The first proposal would see the existing 240 HF-2E missiles upgraded to the current standard, Up Media said, adding that officials consider this to be the quickest way to upgrade the missile arsenal.
The second proposal would see the navy field a mixture of the older HF-2E and the extended range variant, it said, adding the third proposal is to increase the overall number of HF-2E missiles in the military’s arsenal, a plan that could be implemented in conjunction with the above two.
Tsai would choose from the options after the ministry submits its brief, it said.
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique