A multipurpose missile-carrying vehicle now being developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (
The CIST project, named Chingtien No. 1 (
The project is aimed at developing a supersonic surface-to-surface, anti-aircraft and anti-missile missile using the multi-purpose missile-carrying vehicle, which features adjustable payload capability.
"The success of the project will greatly enhance Taiwan's military deterrence. It means the armed forces will have offensive capability to effectively counter military threats from China," said analyst Andrew Yang (
"If a supersonic surface-to-surface missile can be developed from this project, all China's navel vessels cruising the Taiwan Strait, as well as in China's coastal waters, will be within the range," Yang said.
"It will also be very effective against an amphibious landing by Chinese troops," he said.
"The development of the project shows that the military now believes that attack is the best defense," he added.
Besides having anti-ship capabilities, the vehicle will also have surface-to-air capability -- including aircraft and missiles -- depending on its payload and radar guidance system. Maximum speed is said to be around six Mach.
But the CIST has yet to make a technology breakthrough in the terminal guidance system for the project, Yang said. Without such a breakthrough, Taiwan will still have to seek help from other countries, especially the US.
"The main problem for the project at the moment is the enormous size of the missile's booster rocket, which makes it too large to be used from ships or fighter planes," said Chang Li-teh (
"CIST is now trying to reduce the size of the rocket so that the missiles can be fired from land or by aircraft," he said. "This will greatly increase the versatility of the missiles."
"With a supersonic surface-to-surface missile in use, China's fleet, including two advanced Sovremenny-class destroyers to be bought from Russia, will become easy prey," he said.
"Likewise, Taiwan's fleet will be virtually defenseless in an attack by the Russian-made supersonic Sunburn anti-ship missiles, which are to be installed on the Sovremenny destroyers," he said.
Taiwan's navy already has a domestically-developed anti-ship missile, the Hsiungfeng II, Chang said, but its cruising speed is only sub-sonic and it is no match to the Sunburn missile.
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