Taiwan to spend HK$19 billion on home-made missile defence against Beijing
Purchase of locally made weapons is 'biggest procurement of its kind' in recent years, lawmaker says
Taiwan plans to spend NT$74.8 billion (HK$19.4 billion) in the next nine years to acquire anti-missile systems to boost its aerial defences against Beijing, a lawmaker and media said on Saturday.
The defence ministry aims to purchase the locally-made Tien Kung 3 (Sky Bow 3) surface-to-air missile system between next year and 2024 to replace the ageing Hawk missile systems, said lawmaker Lin Yu-fang of the parliament’s defence committee.
This will be the biggest procurement of domestically-made weapon systems in recent years, Lin said, citing a defence budget plan submitted to the parliament for approval on Friday.
The Tien Kung 3 surface-to-air missile system, developed by Taiwan’s Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, is designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles for air defence missions and missile interception, according to Lin.
The institute reportedly has spent more than NT$20 billion to develop the anti-missile system since 1996.
Taiwan unveiled the Tien Kung 3 missile to the public at a national day parade in 2007 and tested it at a major missile drill in 2011.