The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has developed a polycyclic nitroamine explosive, commonly known as CL-20, which is the most powerful non-nuclear explosive known, a government source said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
The institute has significantly improved explosive and rocket propellant research and development in recent years, the source said.
A new factory was established in June 2022 with NT$540 million (US$16.6 million) in equipment installed, the source said.
Photo copied by Chen Wen-chan, Taipei Times
A central complex that would house 50-gallon (189 liters) and 300-gallon (1,136 liters) explosive mixer machines, as well as a storage device, was constructed in the factory, the institute said.
The explosive is 40 percent more powerful than those currently used and could be deployed for Hsiung Feng II (“Brave Wind” II, HF-II) and HF-III missiles, the source said.
The source did not comment on what other type of domestically manufactured missiles would be compatible with the CL-20 compound.
However, the institute has the intellectual property rights to all development and manufacturing of products using CL-20, and may authorize its use and production outside of the institute in favor of growing the national defense industry, the source added.
The US, the EU, China and Russia have also researched and made the compound, but due to its high-technical barrier and manufacturing costs, it has not entered commercial production, the source said.
Despite difficulties in mass production, CL-20 has seen some minor uses within the US and China, and has also been used in the Russia-Ukraine war, the source said.
The institute carries the heavy responsibility of researching and developing explosive compounds for the national defense sector, which has become even more important following the passage of the Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan Purchase Special Regulation (海空戰力生計畫採購特別條例) and the increased production of missiles of all types, the source said.
The research and development of rocket propellants was a significant task, the institute said, adding that it was building a solid foundation for basic production capabilities.
To achieve this, the institute said it has ensured that the compound mixing and propellant research areas are safe, equipped with up-to-date machinery and technology, and are comfortable to work in.
In tandem with domestic companies, the institute has researched and built a 1,136-liter mixer from the ground up, further enhancing the autonomy of Taiwan’s national defense sector.
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