The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has completed the development of a new air-to-air missile to arm the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter jet, an official familiar with the matter said.
The Tien Chien III missile, designed for the Aerospace Industrial Development Corp’s (漢翔航空) Indigenous Defense Fighter, has superior range and speed over the Tien Chien II missile currently in service, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The new missile is expected to enter mass production next year, the source said.
Photo: Liu Yu-chieh, Taipei Times
Taiwan is mass-producing a land-launched version of the Tien Chien II and a ship-launched version, named Hai Chien II, with a special budget under the Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan, they said.
The Ministry of National Defense has not yet disclosed the nomenclature for the Tien Chien II variant utilized by ground vehicles and batteries.
The air-to-air Tien Chien II and Tien Chien II-C missiles are being produced in a smaller volume utilizing funds drawn from the normal defense budget, the official said.
Previous reports saying that the institute referred to the land-based Tien Chien II and Hai Chien II missiles as Tien Chien III were incorrect, as they were derivatives of the air-to-air Tien Chien II missile’s base design, they said.
The Tien Chien III is a new weapon altogether and is intended to replace both types of aircraft-fired Tien Chien II missiles, the source said.
The aircraft-launched Tien Chien II missile has a range of 60km and a top speed of Mach 4, while the improved extended-range Tien Chien II-C has a range of 100km and a top speed of Mach 6, they said.
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