TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology on Tuesday announced a test fire for its air-launched Hsiung Feng III missile.
An Indigenous Defense Fighter will carry and launch the missile next Thursday in waters off Jiupeng, per CNA. A decommissioned Ching Chiang–class vessel will be used as a target ship. If it passes evaluations, its development would provide a more effective way to counter and deter large Chinese naval formations.
According to a live-fire notice issued by NCSIST, test firing and drone operations will take place in the Jiupeng area next Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. NCSIST restricted an altitude of 27,000 feet and cordoned off a zone extending from Taimali in the north to Hengchun in the south, and westward into waters around Green Island and Orchid Island.
The air-launched Hsiung Feng III is smaller than the ship-launched and land-based variants and can be mounted under the wings of the IDF fighter. The missile does not require the two original booster rockets used by the standard version, significantly reducing its overall weight.
The missile is designed to be launched from a high altitude. After release, it activates its ramjet engine and skims the sea surface. Its range exceeds 150 kilometers.
An Indigenous Defense Fighter test-fired the missile last year. The fighter jet took off from Taitung’s Chihhang Air Base and flew near Jiupeng to conduct the launch.
