TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan should look into developing an air-launched version of the Hsiung Feng II missile to better counter naval forces, military expert Chen Kuo-ming (陳國銘), said on Wednesday (April 20).

Chen said if China decides to take Taiwan by force, it will need a capital ship to escort its amphibious fleet, which is vulnerable to naval attack. With this in mind, the military is right to mobilize anti-ship missile launchers, the Liberty Times cited him as saying.

To increase tactical flexibility, the military should consider outfitting fighter jets with the Hsiung Feng II missile, he said.

Taiwan has plans to invest more than NT$79.5 billion (US$ 2.71 billion) in purchasing surface-launched Hsiung Feng missile variants, per the Liberty Times. The first phase, which begins this year, will see the mass production of Hsiung Feng II and III missiles. The second phase will start next year and will focus on mass-production of the extended-range Hsiung Feng III.

Missile production will be completed by 2026.

Although Taiwan has launched U.S.-made Harpoon missiles from the air, surface ships, and submarines, the military has allocated more than NT$86.6 billion to purchase 100 surface-launched variants in order to better defend the country in the event of a Chinese amphibious assault, the Liberty Times reported.