TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Production of the TC-2 air defense system, which uses the Sky Sword II missile, is now in full swing.

The system first underwent a series of tests in March to evaluate its performance but failed to meet the Army’s requirements. However, it passed a second round of evaluations in July and is now approved for large-scale production, Liberty Times reported.

The Army plans to purchase 30 mobile missile launchers, six combat control centers, six phased-array radar systems, and 246 Sky Sword II air defense missiles for a cost of NT$8.8 billion (US$278 million).

The Sky Sword II missile was designed by Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and can reach up to 15 kilometers in range. The TC-2 air-defense system will be deployed alongside the U.S.-made Avenger missile system and is intended to fill Taiwan’s air defense gaps, achieving a "layered interception" effect. One system can fire between 16 and 20 Sky Sword II missiles.