Taiwan’s F-CK-1 fighter jet was spotted carrying the Hsiung Feng III ramjet-powered supersonic anti-ship missile previously seen on warships.
Taiwan’s latest move to bolster its long-range land attack and anti-ship capabilities is the integration of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on its indigenously developed F-CK-1 fighter.
The missile is used by Tuo Chiang-class corvettes and Cheng Kung-class (Ex-Oliver Hazard Perry) frigates as the supersonic hitter against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).
The integration would allow Taiwan an alternative means to launch its most capable anti-ship missile, which can be useful in surprise attacks or saturation.
NCSIST developed Hsiung Feng III as a follow-up to the Hsiung Feng II subsonic anti-ship missile, which is a counterpart to the U.S.-made RGM-84L Harpoon, also used by Taiwan.
The missile, powered by a ramjet, can reach a speed of Mach 3.5 and a range of 400 km. GPS, INS, and an X-band active RF seeker provide the guidance.
A remarkable feature of Hsiung Feng III is its compact size compared to other supersonic anti-ship missiles. The canisters are slightly bigger than subsonic anti-ship missiles in Taiwanese service like RGM-84L and Hsiung Feng II. This is among the reasons why even the Tuo Chiang-class corvettes can carry the missile in significant numbers.
