A Taiwan Air Force (ROCAF) may soon have new missiles for its F-CK-1 Ching Kuo fighters. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has completed the development of the Sky Sword III missile, the newest version of a family of weapons. The new artifact will begin production next year.
Considered similar to the North American AIM-120 AMRAAM, Taiwan's new missile is radar-guided and can shoot down aircraft at distances of 120 to 150 kilometers.
The Sky Sword III will be used in the F-CK-1 – also called Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF) – a fighter aircraft manufactured in Taiwan and developed with assistance from the United States. According to the Taiwan News, the integration of the new weaponry gives the IDF a more powerful and robust air defense weapons system in response to the growing military threat posed by China. When produced, the Sky Sword III will be the country's main air-to-air missile, an official from the Institute told the portal.
The F-CK-1s are already equipped with older versions of the missile. The Sky Sword I, the first model in the family, is similar to the AIM-9 Sidewinder, heat-oriented and designed to shoot down aerial targets at short ranges. The Sky Sword II, in turn, is radar-guided and can hit targets at 60 km; an extended-range version can hit targets at 100 km and exceed Mach 6, six times the speed of sound.
