Taiwan upgrades its Hsiung Feng-3 anti-ship missiles.

Taiwan has launched a Hsiung Feng-3 (HF-3) anti-ship missile from a brand new Tuo Chiang stealth corvette. This version of the ship-launched Hsiung Feng-3 has an improved survivability, range and payload capacity.

On top, the Hsiung Feng-3 and below, the Hsiung Feng-2, at Navdex 2017 in United Arab Emirates (Picture source : Navy Recognition)

The Hsiung Feng-3 (HF-3) is a supersonic missile and represents the third generation of Taiwanese technology in the Hsiung Feng series of anti-ship missiles. It is based on an integrated rocket ramjet featuring solid and liquid fuel boosters.

And this new version of the missile could attempt targets over than 400km away and will be able to employ high-G random weaving permitting it to avoid advanced defenses. It will also be armed with an armour-piercing warhead able to wipe out ship’s defense systems.

At the same time, Taiwan is improving the range and efficiency of other missiles such as the Hsiung Feng-2E (surface-to-surface cruise missile with a range of 600km), a new variant of the AIM-9 Sidewinder (infrared-homing-guided air-to-air missile), the Tien Chien (air-to-air missile) and the Tien Kung (surface-to-air missile).

Taiwan appears to be determined to improve its missile capacity and range, in order to be able to hit Chinese targets located up to 1.500 away.