The air force’s proposed next-generation fighter jet is to be armed with a new Tien Chien missile to be developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, a high-ranking defense official said yesterday.
The missile, tentatively named Tien Chien V, is to have a range of 160km, equivalent to the US-made AIM-120C-8, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The weapon is based on the Tien Chien II medium-range air-to-air missile, they added.
Photo: Liu Yu-chieh, Taipei Times
Tien Chien V missiles would be compatible with domestically made joint helmet-mounted cueing systems and have improved anti-jamming capabilities, which would enhance the speed of target acquisition and pilots’ ability to counter enemy electronic warfare, the source said.
The new missile is needed to meet the next-generation fighter’s operational requirements and design parameters, as the air force has specified that the jet must utilize an internal weapons bay to enable stealth capabilities, they said.
The jet might incorporate vector thrust and advanced avionics, including active electronically scanned array radar and a tactical data link, they said, adding that the air force has yet to make a final decision on the platform’s capabilities.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
The Chungshan Institute makes the Tien Chien I short-range air-to-air missiles and the medium-range Tien Chien II, in addition to the latter’s ship-launched and ground vehicle-mounted derivatives, which it refers to as Tien Chien III, the official said.
The developers skipped the name Tien Chien IV, they said.
Separately, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday said that a Ching Chuan Kang Air Base “open house” event in Taichung was intended to educate Taiwanese about the armed forces’ achievements in preparing the nation’s defense.
Photo: CNA
In a post on Facebook, Tsai called for support and appreciation for military service members.
After a three-year hiatus of the air shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s open house featured a demonstration by the Thunder Tigers Aerobatics Team, a showcase of the military’s main combat aircraft, military band performances and displays that included nearly 100 stands.
Taiwan’s domestically designed AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle trainer jets conducted a flyover in a formation of five, marking a first for that type of aircraft.
Photo: Ritchie B. Tongo, EPA-EFE
Lockheed Martin F-16Vs, Dassault Mirage 2000s and AIDC Indigenous Defense Fighters were among the other tactical aircraft that carried out aerial demonstrations at the event.
The army and the navy, which also participated in the event, displayed vehicles and weapons systems currently in service, including the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, armored fighting vehicles, Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III missiles, and the Chungshan Institute-developed Albatross drone and Cardinal uncrewed combat aerial vehicle.
WAITING GAME: The US has so far only offered a ‘best rate tariff,’ which officials assume is about 15 percent, the same as Japan, a person familiar with the matter said Taiwan and the US have completed “technical consultations” regarding tariffs and a finalized rate is expected to be released soon, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference yesterday, as a 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is set to expire today. The two countries have reached a “certain degree of consensus” on issues such as tariffs, nontariff trade barriers, trade facilitation, supply chain resilience and economic security, Lee said. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation, investment and procurement, she said. A joint statement is still being negotiated and would be released once the US government has made
Authorities have detained three former Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TMSC, 台積電) employees on suspicion of compromising classified technology used in making 2-nanometer chips, the Taiwan High Prosecutors’ Office said yesterday. Prosecutors are holding a former TSMC engineer surnamed Chen (陳) and two recently sacked TSMC engineers, including one person surnamed Wu (吳) in detention with restricted communication, following an investigation launched on July 25, a statement said. The announcement came a day after Nikkei Asia reported on the technology theft in an exclusive story, saying TSMC had fired two workers for contravening data rules on advanced chipmaking technology. Two-nanometer wafers are the most
NEW GEAR: On top of the new Tien Kung IV air defense missiles, the military is expected to place orders for a new combat vehicle next year for delivery in 2028 Mass production of Tien Kung IV (Sky Bow IV) missiles is expected to start next year, with plans to order 122 pods, the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) latest list of regulated military material showed. The document said that the armed forces would obtain 46 pods of the air defense missiles next year and 76 pods the year after that. The Tien Kung IV is designed to intercept cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to an altitude of 70km, compared with the 60km maximum altitude achieved by the Missile Segment Enhancement variant of PAC-3 systems. A defense source said yesterday that the number of
Taiwanese exports to the US are to be subject to a 20 percent tariff starting on Thursday next week, according to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday. The 20 percent levy was the same as the tariffs imposed on Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh by Trump. It was higher than the tariffs imposed on Japan, South Korea and the EU (15 percent), as well as those on the Philippines (19 percent). A Taiwan official with knowledge of the matter said it is a "phased" tariff rate, and negotiations would continue. "Once negotiations conclude, Taiwan will obtain a better
RSS