TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is building an arsenal of anti-ship missiles that defense analysts say could turn the Taiwan Strait into a "kill zone" for invading Chinese forces.
Based on arms-sale data, export approval documents, defense analyses, and interviews with Taiwanese officials, Reuters estimates Taiwan could field about 1,850 anti-ship missiles by 2029. The arsenal would include roughly 850 US-made Harpoon missiles and 1,000 domestically developed Hsiung Feng II and Hsiung Feng III missiles.
Reuters said Taiwan has increasingly embraced an asymmetric warfare strategy to offset the PLA's advantages in manpower and firepower. The approach relies on large numbers of mobile, dispersed, and relatively low-cost weapons, including anti-ship missiles, drones, and short-range missiles.
Ou Si-fu (歐錫富), deputy chief executive officer for research at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told Reuters that a sufficiently large missile force could create a "kill zone" where enemy fleets would face a high risk of severe losses. He said Taiwan's objective is not to destroy every Chinese vessel but to prevent an amphibious landing from succeeding.
The strategy depends on preserving enough military assets through an initial barrage of missile strikes and air attacks to target invasion forces as they approach Taiwan. Analysts argue that mobile land-based launchers are easier to disperse and conceal, increasing their chances of survival in wartime.
Reuters noted that some Taiwanese military experts have drawn lessons from Ukraine's use of missiles and naval drones against Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Researchers have also examined how Iran maintained the ability to strike regional targets and shipping despite sustained air attacks by the US and Israel.
However, retired naval officer Yuster Yu (于孝斌) told Reuters that some of Taiwan's anti-ship missiles remain deployed aboard warships or at fixed sites that could be targeted early in a conflict. “And, the Chinese know where they are,” he said.
The Ministry of National Defense said existing anti-ship missiles are already deployed in mobile and dispersed configurations to preserve combat effectiveness. It added that fixed sites are protected by defensive measures and backup systems and can be converted to mobile deployment when necessary.
Reuters reported that Taiwan's military plans to establish a new Littoral Combat Command in July to integrate shore-based radar systems, anti-ship missiles, drones, and other capabilities. Military experts said the move is intended to improve Taiwan's ability to sustain operations during a blockade or invasion and gain additional time to respond.
