TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan should receive its first Missile Segment Enhancement version of the Patriot PAC-3 missile by the end of the year, reports said Saturday.

The new version has a range of 45 to 60 kilometers, more than double the 24 km range of the previous version, the Liberty Times reported. The MSE version can intercept ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft at a higher altitude. However, because of their larger size, one launch vehicle can only carry 12 MSE missiles instead of 16.

The military had timed the delivery of the missiles from the US for 2025 and 2026, but the war in Ukraine had increased demand for the weapon systems, causing production delays.

Hundreds of MSE missiles were expected as part of a NT$179.1 billion (US$5.89 billion) budget, the report said. Once in Taiwan, the missiles will be stationed on the east coast in Hualien and Taitung counties.

The country’s missile defense network against the threat of Chinese ballistic missiles will rely on the Sky Bow IV or Chiang Kung and the Sky Bow III developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, and on the Patriot PAC-3 and PAC-3 MSE missiles.