Taiwan plans to build up to 1,376 ship-borne air-defense missiles to ride out a PLA saturation strike
Taiwan plans to mass-produce up to 1,376 Hai Chien II naval air-defense missiles, stockpiling indigenous weapons to survive a Chinese saturation strike.
Taiwan plans to mass-produce up to 1,376 Hai Chien II naval air-defense missiles, stockpiling indigenous weapons to survive a Chinese saturation strike.
Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles as the standard air-defense weapon for its surface fleet, the Taipei Times reported, citing a defense source. The missile, designated TC-2N and named Sea Sword II, completed a live-fire test off the island's Jiupeng range last week.
The navy needs 688 of the missiles to fill the magazines of its current and planned warships, the source said: 192 for six Kang Ding-class frigates, 288 for proposed next-generation light frigates, 176 for 12 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes and 32 for the Yushan landing platform dock. The higher 1,376 figure reflects a stockpile of 1.5 to 2 times magazine capacity, the paper said, because the People's Liberation Army is expected to hit Taiwanese ships with saturation strikes.
The Hai Chien II replaces the MIM-72 Chaparral and other dated missiles that lack the range to engage PLA aircraft, per the Taipei Times. On the Lafayette-derived Kang Ding frigates it pairs with the domestic Hua Yang vertical launch system, eight cells of four missiles each, giving those ships a 360-degree air defense they did not have.
The push is part of a wider build-out. Taiwan will expand its anti-ship arsenal to more than 1,800 missiles by early 2029, a Reuters calculation found, as reported by The Economic Times, built on US Harpoons and home-built Hsiung Feng missiles. The strategy is an asymmetric force of many cheaper weapons meant to deter or repel a Chinese blockade or invasion.
The order book points back to the island's own production lines. The missiles come from the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, and the navy is buying enough to keep firing through a saturation attack. The next-generation principal combatant that would carry more of them is still on the drawing board, the Taipei Times said.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many Hai Chien II missiles will Taiwan produce?
Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles, also designated TC-2N, as the standard air-defense weapon for its surface fleet, the Taipei Times reported, citing a defense source.
Why does the navy want more than it needs to fill its magazines?
The navy needs 688 missiles to fill the magazines of current and planned ships, but wants 1.5 to 2 times that to sustain combat, because the People's Liberation Army is expected to hit Taiwanese ships with saturation strikes, per the Taipei Times.
Which ships will carry the missile?
The Taipei Times lists 192 missiles for six Kang Ding-class frigates, 288 for proposed next-generation light frigates, 176 for 12 Tuo Chiang-class corvettes and 32 for the Yushan landing platform dock. The Kang Ding frigates pair the missile with the domestic Hua Yang vertical launch system.
What is it replacing?
The Hai Chien II replaces the MIM-72 Chaparral and other dated missiles that lack the range to engage PLA aircraft, the Taipei Times reported. It is produced by the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology.
How does this fit Taiwan's broader missile plans?
Taiwan will expand its anti-ship missile arsenal to more than 1,800 by early 2029, a Reuters calculation found, as reported by The Economic Times, building on US Harpoons and home-built Hsiung Feng missiles as part of an asymmetric strategy against China.
AI-generated summary, reviewed by an editor. More on our AI guidelines.
Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.