Four years after the Republic of China (ROC) Marine Corps requisitioned its first order of Kestrel anti-armor rocket launchers, the military police and coast guard separately last month announced plans to buy the weapon next year.
The purchase decisions signal that the military considers the weapon — built by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology — to be viable and that the institute’s efforts to design arms and provide upgrades would receive state funding.
The Kestrel rocket launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-launched anti-armor weapon that fires either a high-explosive anti-tank warhead to engage vehicles with light to medium armor or a high-explosive “squash head” for use against buildings.
The biggest hurdle for domestic arms programs has been difficulty gaining the confidence of the end user: the armed forces.
For operational reasons, the military tends to favor foreign weapons systems with proven combat success, while its acceptance of indigenous designs has been cautious, even skeptical. Domestic weapon systems must often take long detours on the path from development to the field.
The launcher was no exception. Although the marines first used the weapon in 2014, their initial purchase was a small order placed due to urgent operational needs. Only after the marines gained confidence in the weapon did the corps place larger orders.
At a cost of NT$49.79 million (US$1.63 million), the Military Police Command plans to issue 445 launchers, 279 training launchers and eight simulators to units tasked with defending Taipei, the unit’s budget for next year showed.
The Coast Guard Administration plans to issue 84 launchers and 88 training launchers to coast guard garrisons on the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島) and Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands, 南沙群島), at a cost of NT$11.12 million, the coast guard’s budget for next year showed.
The biggest potential client for the rocket launcher is the ROC Army, whose hand-held anti-tank weapon is the US-made M72 LAW, an aging weapon.
However, the army, which has agreed to a service-life extension program for its large stock of M72s, has remained tight-lipped concerning any Kestrel purchases, despite reviewing the data and evaluating the weapon.
As a weapon designed to be operated by a single soldier, the Kestrel’s tactical role is similar to that of the M72 — a light, mobile weapon for dismounted infantry soldiers.
The TOW-2A/B anti-tank guided missile launcher — the military’s other standard-issue anti-armor weapon — possesses greater lethality and a longer range, but it is heavier and typically mounted on vehicles or attack helicopters.
Filling the gap between the two weapon systems, the FGM-148 Javelin is a fire-and-forget anti-tank missile launcher meant for a crew of two that is light enough to be carried by soldiers in the field, but more powerful than the Kestrel or the M72.
Translated by staff writer Jonathan Chin
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
ECONOMIC BENEFITS: The imports from Belize would replace those from Honduras, whose shrimp exports have dropped 67 percent since cutting ties in 2023 Maintaining ties with Taiwan has economic benefits, Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said yesterday, citing the approval of frozen whiteleg shrimp imports from Belize by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an example. The FDA on Wednesday approved the tariff-free imports from Belize after the whiteleg shrimp passed the Systematic Inspection of Imported Food, which would continue to boost mutual trade, the ministry said. Taiwan’s annual consumption of whiteleg shrimps stands at 30,000 tonnes, far exceeding domestic production, the ministry said. Taiwan used to fill the gap by importing shrimps from Honduras, but purchases slumped after Tegucigalpa severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan