The military plans to complete the integration of the first domestically produced regional air defense system by next year, with Tien Kung III, Tieng Kung IV and the land-based variant of the Tien Chien II, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) said in a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan.
Once Taiwan’s domestically produced air defense system is fully integrated, it would be further linked through the US’ Integrated Battle Command System to coordinate with newly purchased US-made Patriot III and NASAMS air defense systems, the report said, adding that the large-scale integration aims to realize the “T-Dome” defense plan, providing multi-layered, multi-missile protection.
The ministry urged the legislature to fund domestically produced air defense missiles via a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.16 billion) special defense budget.
Photo: Taipei Times
Tien Kung IV missiles, a product of the CSIST’s Chiang Kung program, are among the world’s most capable interceptors, the ministry said.
The system, with an interception altitude of 70km, is in the same class as the US-made Terminal High Altitude Area Defense and the Israeli Arrow-2, it said.
The Tien Kung IV forms the outermost layer of T-Dome, the government’s proposed multi-layered air defense system deploying advanced and legacy interceptors with an integrated command system, the ministry said.
The advanced interceptor’s active electronically scanned array radar system, which was developed with US technical assistance, achieves a detection range and precision superior to other Taiwanese-made air defense systems, it said.
The report also made a reference to three unidentified types of indigenously developed missiles that the ministry plans to mass-produce by drawing from the annual defense budget.
Defense officials and lawmakers with knowledge of the matter confirmed on condition of anonymity that the three systems were understood to be the Sea Oryx short-range air defense missile, the Ching Tien hypersonic land-attack missile and an unknown ballistic missile.
Little is known about the Ching Tien hypersonic missile beyond its supposed maximum range of 2,000km.
The Hsiung Feng III anti-ship and land attack missile is undergoing testing, and its inclusion in the annual budget for next year could not be clarified until July, sources said.
Defense officials told lawmakers that the government’s version of the special defense budget includes funds to manufacture Tien Kung IV missiles, and Albatross II surveillance and reconnaissance drones, as well as uncrewed kamikaze boats, while the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) version of the bill excludes them.
The Executive Yuan would allocate NT$36.1 billion for the Tien Kung IV, NT$16.8 billion for the Albatross II and NT$28 billion for the remote-control boats, taking up 7.2 percent of the government’s version of the bill.
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