According to Chinese news site Sohu (NASDAQ: SOHU), Taiwan’s Chinese Academy of Sciences recently announced the debut of a supersonic cruise missile named Ching Tien. The missile was officially approved for development a few years ago and completed formal operational evaluation at the end of last year. The missile has entered the mass production stage, and the first batch of missiles has been deployed to the Taiwanese military’s missile command headquarters.
The Taiwan authorities expect to deploy 15-20 Ching Tien missiles on mobile launch platforms in northern and central Taiwan. The missiles are 14 meters long with a range of around 2,000 kilometers, sufficient to reach Beijing from Taiwan. With the missile’s deployment, the Taiwanese military now has a strategic weapon for medium and long-range strikes for the first time.
It is expected that mass production efficiency of this missile will further improve starting next year. Taiwanese authorities appear to be fully engaged in missile development activities, and the message is very clear: if the Mainland can use missiles to attack Taiwan, then Taiwan must also have the ability to attack Mainland China’s coastal and inland cities, including Beijing.
The new Taiwanese missile lacks the stealth penetration capabilities of some U.S. cruise missiles. Meanwhile, Mainland China’s military has already deployed a large number of air defense and anti-missile systems in the southeastern coastal areas, potentially providing some defensive protection against the new missiles.
Source: Sohu, November 18, 2023
https://www.sohu.com/a/737359248_121451179