Taiwan Showcases Its Own Carrier Killer Missile

Ever since China flaunted its mean looking “carrier killer” a while ago the term has become a new buzzword in the defense world. To ‘welcome’ Shi Lang’s Liaoning’s first sea trial on August 10, Taiwan outed its own carrier killer on the same day for the 2011 Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), an annual arms show where foreign and local companies gather for business.

The missile was put on display against a vivid background depicting a burning aircraft carrier that had an uncanny resemblance to China’s refurbished Varyag-class ship.

Dubbed a supersonic anti-ship missile, the Hsiung Feng III or Treasure III was first introduced to the media in an exclusive pre-show tour. According to a press release, its greatest assets are its size, speed, and capacity to carry a large warhead. Despite such claims, no tests of the Hsiung Feng III have been announced or are even scheduled for the public to scrutinize its actual performance.

The Hsiung Feng III is just the latest addition to Taiwan’s already extensive arsenal of anti-ship missiles developed by the Chungshun Institute of Science and Technology. The Hsiung Feng III is designed for deployment in Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and has a reported range of 130 kilometers.

A few days after the Hsiung Feng III’s grand debut, a Taiwanese defense official claimed that a land-based variant is being developed that could be fired from a mobile platform, thus allowing it greater survivability in a total war scenario.

This tit-for-tat gesture is being perceived as anomalous among Taiwan watchers considering how the present leadership has made huge efforts to improve ties with the mainland. The Hsiung Feng III is further proof that in the absence of fresh weapon sales by the US, Taiwan at least possesses the know-how for limited self-sufficiency. Other Taiwanese made weapon systems includes its own multirole fighter aircraft, indigenous assault rifles, and surface-to-surface missiles.