August 3, 2006 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
The September 1 issue of
Jane’s Navy International includes a profile of Taiwan’s Hsiung Feng-3 (HF-3) anti-ship cruise missile. Designed and produced by the Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology, the HF-3 is believed to be a supersonic variant of the Hsiung Feng-2, with an increased range that some sources claim exceeds 600 km. If true, the HF-3 would be able to strike a number of Chinese naval facilities including Shantou, Xiamen, Sandu, and Xiazhen.
Jane’s classifies the HF-3 as an anti-ship missile that will be deployed on Taiwan’s Cheng Kung and Kang Ding-class frigates. The lead Cheng Kung-class frigate, the
Cheng Kung, was seen at the Suao Naval Base in northern Taiwan, fitted with four HF-3 missile launch tubes. Yet local media reports suggest that the HF-3 might also serve as the basis for a surface-to-surface cruise missile capable of striking targets within China. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has denied these reports, claiming that the HF-3 program is strictly limited to the development of a supersonic anti-ship missile.
Jane’s reports that Taiwan has allocated funds for the production of 120 HF-3 missiles this year, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
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