Taiwan Plans Deployment of Hsiung Sheng Missiles by Year's End

Taiwan is making preparations to deploy a substantial number of Hsiung Sheng missiles, capable of reaching China with their 1,200 km range, by the end of this year.

The Hsiung Sheng missiles, an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) surface-to-surface cruise missile, have been kept under wraps until now. With an estimated range of up to 1,200 kilometers, these missiles could potentially target significant Chinese command posts and airport runways.

The NT$16.9 billion project aimed at modernizing the nation's missile defense systems is nearing completion, military sources revealed to Taipei Times.

This development is anticipated to pave the way for the deployment of around 100 Hsiung Sheng missiles, significantly bolstering Taiwan's deterrence capabilities against its larger neighbor. Originally slated as a four-year initiative, the project has witnessed accelerated progress, with production expected to conclude within the current year.

Taiwan’s Air Force has already been equipped with two existing variants of the HF-2E missile system, designated as Type A and Type B.

A development contributing to the extended range of the new Hsiung Sheng is the creation of the Kunpeng turbofan engine, engineered to optimize fuel efficiency and propel the missile over greater distances.

Taiwanese media compare this new missile to America’s Tomahawk missile. Hsiung Sheng is capable of delivering high-explosive and fragmentation warheads with precision. This makes it suitable for counter-attack operations against enemy installations and infrastructure.

Although the exact production capacity remains undisclosed, reports suggest that a new missile production facility at the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is expected to manufacture over 130 of these missiles annually.