The Wan Chien (Chinese: 萬劍; lit. 'ten thousand swords'; Tâi-lô: bān-kiàm) is an air to ground cruise missile developed and produced by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) of Taiwan.[2][3][4][5]
| Wan Chien | |
|---|---|
 IDF with Wan Chien | |
| Type | Air-launched cruise missile Air-to-ground missile |
| Place of origin | Taiwan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2011 – present |
| Used by | Republic of China Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 650 kg (1,433 lb) |
| Length | 350 cm (138 in) |
| Diameter | 610 mm (24 in) |
| Wingspan | 1,500 mm (59 in) |
| Warhead | 350kg of submunitions |
| Engine | Turbofan |
Operational range | 240 km (130 nmi) 400 km (220 nmi) (Upgraded version)[1] |
| Maximum speed | subsonic |
Guidance system | GPS and inertial guidance |
Design and development edit
It partly resembles the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon and the Storm Shadow. Serial production was expected to start in 2015.[2][6] Full operational capability was declared in 2018. It is functional in both a ground strike role and a naval strike role.[7] The codename for the development and initial production of the Wan Chien was "Project God’s Axe" (神斧).[8]
After the completion of initial production NCSIST began working on a long range variant with a 400km range.[8]
Service history edit
The Wan Chien entered service in 2011. The primary launch platform is the AIDC F-CK-1 C/D.[9]
In 2022 annual production was approximately 50 missiles a year. Production was expected to end in 2024 but in 2023 funds were allocated to extend production of the improved version through 2028. [10]
General characteristics edit
See also edit
- Hsiung Feng II – Taiwanese anti-ship missile
- AGM-158 JASSM – American low observable air-launched cruise missile
- Storm Shadow – Franco-British cruise missile
- Taurus KEPD 350 – German/Swedish air-launched cruise missile
- Hatf-VIII (Ra'ad) – Pakistani air-launched cruise missile
References edit
- ^ "Taiwan Air Force test-fires domestic cruise missile | Taiwan News | 2020-11-13 11:55:00". 13 November 2020.
- ^ a b c J. Michael Cole. "Taiwan Unveils 'Wan Chien' Air-To-Ground Cruise Missile". The Diplomat. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
- ^ "Taiwan's 'Wan Chien' missile likely to be deployed 2014 - Taiwan News". Central News Agency. Archived from the original on 2017-03-16.
- ^ Raska, Michael (9 March 2017). "How China Plans to Win the Next Great Big War In Asia". The National Interest. Retrieved 2017-03-16.
- ^ "我遙攻武器 萬劍彈曝光 – 焦點 – 自由時報電子報". Retrieved 2017-03-17.
- ^ "Taiwan Unveils "Wan Chien" Air-to-Ground Standoff Weapon". Defense Update. 20 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-22.
- ^ Panda, Ankit. "Report: Taiwanese Air Force's New Stand-Off Cruise Missile Is Operational". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
- ^ a b Chen, Kelvin (13 November 2020). "Taiwan Air Force test-fires domestic cruise missile". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Wan Chien". csis.org. CSIS. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
- ^ Strong, Matthew (2 September 2023). "Taiwan Air Force orders extra Wan Chien missiles". taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Upgraded IDF jets to boost Taiwan's air defense | Politics | FOCUS TAIWAN – CNA ENGLISH NEWS". Retrieved 2017-03-16.