Taiwan weapons firm test-fires cruise missile believed to be capable of striking central and eastern mainland China

Name: Taiwan showcases combat drones as self-ruled island aims to bolster defences
Uploaded: 2023-02-07T13:30:07.000Z
Duration: 2 min 20 s
Description: Taiwan showcases combat drones as self-ruled island aims to bolster defences

National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology carried out test on Tuesday morning amid increasingly active PLA operations around the island

Government-funded institute also says it is working with local companies to develop 5 types of drone for use by island’s military

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The government-funded National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology test-fired a missile from its base in Jiupeng in the island’s southernmost county of Pingtung on Tuesday. Photo: CNA

Lawrence Chungin Taipei

Published: 9:30pm, 7 Feb 2023

Taiwan’s top weapons builder has test-fired a missile believed to be capable of hitting mainland China, as cross-strait tensions show no sign of abating.

It has also said it is working with local civilian companies to develop five types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to build up a drone fleet and boost the military’s surveillance ability.

The moves came amid increasingly active air and naval operations by the People’s Liberation Army around the self-ruled island in recent months. There have also been warnings from US military officials about the increasing risk of cross-strait conflict.

02:20

Taiwan showcases combat drones as self-ruled island aims to bolster defences

The government-funded National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) test-fired the missile from its base in Jiupeng in the island’s southernmost county of Pingtung around 9.10am on Tuesday, according to a notice issued by Taiwan’s Fisheries Agency to warn off air and sea activities near the test site.

Witnesses told local media the missile, believed to be the new Hsiung Sheng cruise missile, left a trail of smoke in the clear sky after it was successfully launched.

The surface-to-surface missile is an extended-range version of the Hsiung Feng IIE, which is able to hit targets up to 1,200km (746 miles) – far enough to reach major mainland cities such as Qingdao on the east coast or Wuhan in the centure.

The NCSIST declined to identify the missile but local newspapers, including the Liberty Times, quoted a military observer who said that from the altitude and test site coordinates provided by the agency, it was most likely the newly developed Hsiung Sheng.