TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A live-fire drill with the Wan Chien missile is planned for Thursday (Sept. 7), a military source said.

The Wan Chien is an air-to-ground cruise missile produced by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF) from the First Tactical Fighter Wing will carry out the drill in the waters off Jiupeng in Pingtung County.

This will be the first live-fire test of the Wan Chien missile carried out by the Tainan-based wing, Liberty Times reported. The first Wan Chien missile drill, dubbed “Sheng Fu (神斧),” was conducted last year by IDFs from the Third Tactical Fighter Wing.

Wan Chien missiles currently in service have a range of more than 200 kilometers, and there are reports that an extended-range variant is in development that has a maximum range of 400 kilometers, but NCSIST has not confirmed this.

The Air Force has budgeted an additional NT$501.74 million (US$15.73 million) from 2024-2028 to procure more Wan Chien missiles. This will bolster Taiwan's deterrence against threats from China and enhance its stand-off strike capabilities.