TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Helicopters are ill-suited to be armed with the Wan Chien missile, the Air Force Command said in response to a Kuomintang (KMT) proposal to do so.

KMT Legislator Wen Yu-hsia (溫玉霞) asked if it was possible to find a way for military helicopters to carry and launch the domestically produced air-to-surface missile, according to Liberty Times.

In the event of cross-strait conflict, all runways and military airstrips across the country would be targeted by China and there may not be an immediate opportunity for repairs, Wen said. As a result, it could be advantageous to arm helicopters with the missiles, as it would not be limited by the absence of operational runways, he said.

The Air Force Command said that mounting and launching the Wan Chien missile from helicopters would be operationally challenging and not in line with practical needs.

The Legislative Yuan's parliamentary office also suggested that due to the size and payload limitations of helicopters compared to fighter or bomber aircraft, most are equipped with lightweight anti-ship or air-to-surface missiles with a range of under 100 kilometers. Therefore, the feasibility of mounting the Wan Chien missile from helicopters needs to be assessed by the Ministry of National Defense.

Additionally, since many of Taiwan's rotary-wing aircraft are built by the U.S., any modifications would require American approval. Thus, the MND would have to explore non-U.S. or non-military variants to avoid restrictions, the office said.

The Wan Chien is a cruise missile produced by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology that is intended to strike enemy airfields, ports, missile sites, and radar positions. Wan Chien missiles have a range of more than 200 km. There are reports that an extended-range variant is in development that has a maximum range of 400 km, but NCSIST has not confirmed this.

The Air Force is budgeting an extra NT$501.74 million (US$15.73 million) spread over five years to procure Wan Chien missiles.