Tien Kung IV deliveries to Taiwan unlikely before 2028 — Taipei Times

In Taiwan, deliveries of Tien Kung IV surface-to-air missiles, also known as Sky Bow IV, could begin no earlier than 2028 at the current level of funding. Until then, Taiwan’s air defense will continue to rely on Taiwanese Tien Kung III missiles and US Patriot Advanced Capability-3 systems, Taipei Times reported, citing an unnamed defense official.

Delay of the new system

According to the publication’s source, the timeline is affected by production constraints involving Tien Kung IV, as well as a delay in a planned US arms package worth NT$420 billion, or US$12.92 billion. The package has not yet been announced. Equipment whose delivery is delayed includes extended-range Patriot PAC-3 missiles and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, NASAMS.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, following a year-long budget dispute with lawmakers, decided to fund the procurement of Tien Kung IV through the annual budget rather than special budget programs. The ministry considers the missile a key high-altitude interceptor for T-Dome, Taiwan’s planned networked air defense system.

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Reliance on existing missiles

Tien Kung III and PAC-3 missiles will remain the backbone of air defense for the next three to five years, according to the official. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has successfully tested accelerated production of Tien Kung III and is capable of manufacturing 96 such missiles per year, the source said.

Taiwan has 13 Tien Kung III sites, including completed and planned ones. They can accommodate Tien Kung IV due to shared radar and launcher characteristics of the two systems. The institute has also transferred technologies to the private sector for manufacturing more than half of the new missile’s components, including parts for active radar seekers and active electronically scanned array antennas.

To bridge the capability gap, the government proposes allocating an additional NT$13 billion for materials and assembly lines. The air defense unit battle management system developed by the institute can integrate Tien Kung III, Tien Kung IV and PAC-3.