Taiwan is developing a next-generation anti-ship missile in a move that defence analysts have described as potentially a major boost to the island’s ability to deter mainland China’s expanding naval power.
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In a list issued under the Defence Industry Development Act, Taiwan’s defence ministry announced a new weapon described as a “long-range subsonic anti-ship cruise missile”.
The list said the island’s military would spend NT$40 million (US$1.4 million) next year and the year after that to buy 80 “frequency-agile coaxial magnetrons” – components that can quickly and dynamically change their operating frequency.
In radar applications, frequency agility helps reduce interference and improve target detection.
The list said the components would be used in the new long-range missile as well as in the Hsiung Feng II and III anti-ship missiles, prompting defence analysts to suggest that the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) – Taiwan’s top weapons builder – had been working on the project for several years.
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Local news media outlets have reported that between 2021 and 2022, the defence ministry had allocated more than NT$800 millionto develop the missile using the Hsiung Feng IIE land-attack cruise missile’s core technology with a particular emphasis on stealth.