TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan currently has one indigenous ground-based missile that can be used to strike enemies with precision from a long distance, while researchers are working to develop three more long-range weapons to boost the country's combat capabilities.
The Ministry of National Defense's (MND) 2021 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which was recently submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review, has made clear that enhancing far-strike capabilities is Taiwan's top defense priority in the coming years. The report says the country will be able to delay the advance of a potential Chinese invasion by building more long-distance missiles and remote-controlled weapon systems.
Addressing lawmakers' questions about the QDN at the Legislative Yuan on Thursday (March 25), Leng Jin-xu (冷金緒), vice president of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), said the country has one indigenous ground-based missile and a few weapons purchased from the U.S. for long-distance strikes. Meanwhile, the development of three other long-range missiles is currently being studied, he noted.
Since specifications of the missiles are considered sensitive military secrets, Leng said he is not at liberty to reveal the information.
Minister of Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) emphasized the MND is planning to build more mobile air defense weapons with high precision. He said researchers at NCSIST have been working tirelessly to develop advanced warfare systems to ensure national security.