Taiwan’s Sky Bow: Tien Kung Missile Ready to Counter China’s Threats

Taiwan Unveils Self-Developed Missile
It’s the Tien Kung Anti-Aircraft Missile
Is the Patriot Not Enough?

Taiwan is currently facing a tense situation on the brink of a military conflict with China. China is threatening Taiwan to uphold the “One China” principle, and Taiwan is maintaining a delicate balance with China with the support of the United States. However, Taiwan seems to have decided that it cannot solely rely on the U.S. in this situation.

Taiwan has secured a large number of U.S. Patriot missiles to counter China’s missile power, which it views as particularly threatening. However, Taiwan is reportedly preparing to deploy the Tien Kung (Sky Bow) anti-aircraft missile, which it has developed independently, for actual combat.

Patriot Is Not Enough
Capable of High-Altitude Interception

Taiwan’s Tien Kung anti-aircraft missile is an improved version of the existing Tien Kung-3 missile with an extended range. Taiwan has already secured over 100 additional Patriot missiles from the U.S., but it seems to have judged that imported weapons alone are ineffective in efficiently defending the country. As the situation with China is urgent, the Taiwanese military quickly focuses on missile development and power deployment.

The Tien Kung missile can intercept targets at a maximum altitude of 70km. Taiwan has announced that subsequent upgraded versions will be capable of intercepting at an altitude of 100km. Therefore, this weapon will likely intercept high-altitude weapons targeting Taiwan, notably ICBMs.

Capable of Defending Against Chinese Power

China is currently targeting Taiwan with a variety of weapons. It’s not just the intercontinental ballistic missiles mentioned earlier. It also includes the potential interception of China’s high-altitude reconnaissance drones or attack drones like the TB-001, as recently revealed through the leaked classified documents from the United States. Therefore, effective deterrence against China’s asymmetric power is possible.