TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology recently showcased the Kestrel II anti-armor rocket launcher for the first time.
The Kestrel II, which has been in development since 2024, is equipped with a 5x optical zoom sight engraved with a predicted line of sight, enabling the shooter to calculate lead on moving targets, according to CNA. The sight is mounted on a tactical rail atop the launcher.
The Kestrel II has an outdoor-launch and an indoor-launch variant, which has Fire-From-Enclosure capabilities.
The upgraded rocket launcher has an effective range of 500 meters and can penetrate rolled homogeneous armor 67 centimeters thick. The weight of the launcher is 3.9 kilograms, while the launch tube length has increased from 110 centimeters to 116 centimeters.
The larger size does not significantly affect mobility when carried with a shoulder strap, per CNA. The launcher is disposable after firing and does not require reloading. The rocket launcher’s parts are the same as those of its predecessor, allowing soldiers to transition easily to the new weapon.
Chang Chia-hua (張家華), director of NCSIST’s Systems Manufacturing Center, said that the Kestrel II is the fourth rocket launcher system in the world capable of being fired indoors. The outdoor variant is expected to complete developmental testing in the first half of the year, while development testing for the indoor-launch version is scheduled for completion in the second half of the year, CNA cited NCSIST as saying.
