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
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