The military's Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday denied a local media report that it is developing a cruise missile code-named Hsiung Feng-IIE.
Rear Admiral David Soong (宋大偉), vice president of the institute, said the Hsiung Feng-IIE is not a cruise missile, but rather an anti-ship missile.
"The missile is an enhanced version of the Hsiung Feng-II anti-ship missile, which is already in service with the navy. That's why it is called the Hsiung Feng-IIE," Soong said.
"We are also developing a next-generation anti-ship missile called Hsiung Feng-III. Hsiung Feng-III is a super-sonic anti-ship missile, while the Hsiung Feng-IIE is sub-sonic," he said.
Soong made the remarks yesterday at a regular Ministry of National Defense press conference in response to inquiries from the press over reports that the institute is developing the Hsiung Feng-IIE as a cruise missile.
A local Chinese-language newspaper reported yesterday that the Hsiung Feng-IIE is Taiwan's version of the US Tomahawk, and that its maximum range is 1,000km.
It is the second time in two weeks that the military has denied local media reports regarding highly sensitive missile development projects.
The first time also involved a report in a local Chinese-language newspaper that said the military is currently developing a medium-range ballistic missile under a project code-named "Dichin."
The report was denied by the ministry.
Quoting anonymous defense sources, yesterday's report said the Hsiung Feng-IIE development project has been intentionally kept a secret from the public.
The Hsiung Feng-IIE is a copycat of the US-made Tomahawk, the newspaper said, since its design looks quite similar to that of the Tomahawk.
A defense source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the Taipei Times that the Hsiung Feng-IIE is apparently being developed with technical assistance from the US.
"One of the [pieces of] evidence is that a prototype of the Hsiung Feng-IIE was test-fired in the US several years ago.
"If the US is not involved in the Hsiung Feng-IIE project, how was Taiwan able to test-fire the missile in the US?" the source said.
The paper said the Hsiung Feng-IIE has a maximum range of 1,000km, capable of hitting strategic military assets in China, ranging from Guangzhou in the south to Shenyang in the northeast.
In response, Soong said: "The report is based on a hypothetical assumption by its writer and his associates. We have no comment on it."
The Hsiung Feng-IIE, according to Soong, is purely an anti-ship missile development project. Soong denied that the Hsiung Feng-IIE has the ability to attack land targets, saying the missile is to be used against targets on the sea.
Soong failed, however, to make a clear distinction between the Hsiung Feng-IIE and Hsiung Feng-III, which he said are both anti-ship missiles.
Soong only said: "The Hsiung Feng-IIE is an enhanced version of the Hsiung Feng-II, while the Hsiung Feng-III is a next-generation weapon."
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