American Enterprise Institute:
Taiwanese defense spending has fallen despite evidence of an immediate need for such investments. Michael Mazza explains that Taiwan’s unique missile defense program may be one of the few the nation continues to fund.
Taiwan has an active indigenous cruise missile program. While U.S. officials have at times expressed unease with the program, Taiwan has been undeterred in producing weapons it believes are necessary for the island’s defense. In recent years, Taiwan has fielded two new cruise missiles: the Hsiung Feng IIE (HF-2E) and the Hsiung Feng III (HF-3)…
Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng III missile is displayed during Taiwan’s national day parade in Taipei October 10, 2007. Taiwan rolled out its top military weaponry on Wednesday for the first time during a national day parade in 16 years, a move seen aimed at stirring China and boosting nationalist fervor at home ahead of key elections. REUTERS/Nicky Loh
The HF-2E, on the other hand, is a surface-to-surface cruise missile designed to strike the Chinese mainland. It has a reported range of 600 kilometers. As recently as November 2012, former Taiwan deputy defense minister Andrew Yang told Defense News that “the U.S. is concerned about the development [of the HF-2E]. They are encouraging [China and Taiwan] to discuss the problem.” Even so, the HF-2E has entered active service and is deployed on road-mobile launchers.
There are conflicting reports on a possible new missile known as the Cloud Peak. Initial reports indicated that the missile would be supersonic, with a 1200-kilometer range allowing it to reach Shanghai and, perhaps, Chinese naval bases at Qingdao and Hainan island. More recent reports described the Cloud Peak as a new land-based anti-ship cruise missile with a longer range than the HF-3. Regardless of the precise nature of the Cloud Peak, Taiwan’s missile program clearly remains a priority for the armed forces…
