Taiwan is in the process of developing a hypersonic missile derived from the Ching Tien (擎天) supersonic cruise missile, with a Czech-manufactured truck tentatively chosen as its launch vehicle, according to a source reported yesterday.
The Ching Tien, previously known as Yun Feng (雲峰, “Cloud Peak”), is a domestically designed missile with a range of 1,200km to 2,000km, which has been deployed in casemate positions since last month, as revealed by an anonymous official.
The new hypersonic missile will offer enhanced range and utilize a mobile launch platform, likely based on a 12×12 single chassis truck from the Czech company Tatra, the source noted.
Additionally, the Oshkosh M983 is being considered as another potential vehicle for the missile.
The military, along with the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology—responsible for the missile’s design—are in discussions with manufacturers about acquiring tactical trucks, as stated by the official.
This hypersonic cruise missile is expected to significantly enhance the military’s deep strike capabilities, and utilizing a mobile launch platform would increase its survivability during combat.
Furthermore, the military aims to procure an 8×8 single-chassis vehicle to act as a test launch platform for the hypersonic missile and possibly replace the current Taiwanese launch vehicles.
Current mobile launch platforms for domestically developed missiles consist of semitrucks, which are more cumbersome and slower to deploy compared to the single-chassis models used by Western militaries.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of National Defense issued a request for the development of heat-resistant ceramic materials and advanced rocket engines, marking the first indication of a hypersonic missile initiative.
Aerospace researcher and adviser at the Chungshan Institute, Su Yu-pen (蘇玉本), commented that Taiwan possesses the technological capability to develop a hypersonic weapon if composite materials can be engineered for use in rocket engines.
