TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The military will complete the replacement of its 50-year-old Hawk missile systems by the Sky Bow III surface-to-air missiles next year, reports said Thursday (April 7).

There is no way the quality of the MIM-23 Hawk missiles could be upgraded or their lifespan extended, the Liberty Times reported. At the same time, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 中科院) is preparing a new production plant that would allow the pace of manufacturing of Sky Bow III missiles to double from 48 to 96 units per year.

The tempo should be sufficient to make up for the retirement of the Hawks, which pose a threat both when fired and during storage, as they have passed their expiration date, defense officials said.

After destroying 51 Hawk missiles last year, the NCSIST should dispose of a further 249 during 2022. In the past, the United States sent teams of inspectors around the world to judge the state of the missiles, with Taiwan receiving perfect marks, the Liberty Times reported.