Taiwan Successfully Launches Surface-To-Air Missile

Taiwan’s navy yesterday launched its surface-to-air missile for the first time in six years, destroying a drone simulating a Chinese air attack.

The U.S.-made Standard II missile, fired from the Kidd-class Makung destroyer, soared into the skies over the ocean dozens of miles east off Hualien, eastern Taiwan, hitting the drone, according to Defense News.

Artillery were also used in the drill, codenamed “Sea Standard,” that simulated a Chinese strike on the Taiwanese fleet.

“Standard II is very stable. There is no need to fire the costly weaponry every year to verify its reliability,” Adm. Wen Chen-kuo was quoted as saying by AFP from the nearby Su Ao destroyer, citing its success six years ago in a similar naval maneuver.

Each Standard II missile costs around $3 million. With a range of over 130 kilometers (81 miles), it provides warships with a more comprehensive and longer-range air defense capability.

Currently, only four 10,000-tonne Kidd-class destroyers, the biggest warships of Taiwanese navy, are armed with the regional air defense weaponry, the report added. But due to bad weather, Taiwan’s military had to call off some of the exercises.