TAIPEI : Taiwan has formally initiated mass-production preparations for its most advanced indigenous anti-ballistic missile system, known as Strong Bow, as part of a broader effort to strengthen the island’s air and missile defenses against expanding Chinese missile capabilities.
Procurement and budgetary documents released by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirm plans to acquire two complete Strong Bow system sets and 128 interceptor missiles. Strong Bow is the operational designation for Sky Bow IV (Tien Kung IV), the latest variant in Taiwan’s long-running Sky Bow missile family. The program is a core element of President Lai Ching-te’s proposed “T-Dome” integrated air and missile defense architecture.
Transition to Mass Production
Strong Bow was developed by the state-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) and has completed required operational evaluation testing, allowing the system to transition from development into production preparation.
According to defense officials familiar with the procurement, the total program value—including interceptor missiles, vertical launcher vehicles, radar systems, command-and-control elements, training equipment, and logistical support—is estimated at approximately NT$36.6 billion (about US$1.13 billion). Funding has been allocated through a combination of special defense budgets and long-term force modernization appropriations.
Domestic industry participants have been instructed to prepare for scaled manufacturing. Supply-chain sources say component orders are expected to begin within the year, with production capacity expansion planned through 2027 to support full-rate manufacturing and follow-on missile replenishment.
Missile and Intercept Capabilities
Strong Bow represents a significant capability increase over the currently deployed Sky Bow III interceptor. While Sky Bow III is assessed to intercept targets at altitudes of approximately 35 to 45 kilometers, Strong Bow extends the engagement envelope to roughly 70 kilometers.
This expanded altitude allows the system to intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles during the terminal phase of flight, as well as high-altitude cruise missiles. Defense planners view this capability as closing an important gap between lower-tier air defense systems and higher-tier interceptors such as the U.S.-supplied Patriot PAC-3 already in Taiwanese service.
The interceptor employs an active radar seeker and improved guidance algorithms designed to enhance accuracy against maneuvering targets and to operate effectively in dense electronic-warfare environments.
Chiang Kong AESA Radar Integration
A key component of the Strong Bow system is the Chiang Kong active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire-control radar, developed domestically by NCSIST. The Chiang Kong radar is designed to provide long-range detection, tracking, and engagement support specifically for high-speed ballistic and cruise missile targets.
Defense sources say the radar offers improved target discrimination, faster refresh rates, and greater resistance to jamming compared with earlier Sky Bow-series radars. Its AESA architecture allows the system to track multiple targets simultaneously while guiding several interceptors in flight, a capability considered critical in scenarios involving large-scale missile salvos.
The Chiang Kong radar is also designed to integrate with Taiwan’s broader air defense sensor network, enabling data sharing with other radar systems and command centers to improve situational awareness and engagement coordination across multiple defense layers.
Role in the T-Dome Architecture
The Strong Bow system is intended to serve as the medium-tier interceptor within President Lai’s T-Dome concept, which was outlined publicly during his National Day address in late 2025. The framework envisions an island-wide, layered defense network integrating indigenous systems with selected foreign platforms through shared sensors, command-and-control infrastructure, and data links.
Military planners describe the T-Dome as a response to the growing size and diversity of missile forces fielded by the People’s Liberation Army, emphasizing redundancy and layered interception rather than reliance on a single defensive system.
As part of longer-term planning, NCSIST has also initiated research and preliminary testing on a follow-on interceptor often referred to informally as Strong Bow II or Sky Bow V. The next-generation system is expected to target interception altitudes approaching 100 kilometers, though it remains in the research and development phase and has not yet entered formal procurement.
Testing and Deployment Outlook
The move toward production follows reports of a recent successful test launch of the Strong Bow interceptor. Video footage broadcast by local media showed the missile being launched from a vertical canister, a configuration intended to reduce reaction time and allow flexible deployment across multiple sites.
The MND has stated that mass production and deployment of Strong Bow are intended to offset the numerical advantage of China’s missile forces by increasing interception coverage and resilience. While specific deployment timelines have not been publicly disclosed, defense officials indicate that initial operational units could begin receiving the system once early production batches are completed.
Taiwanese defense authorities emphasize that the Strong Bow program forms part of a long-term modernization effort focused on indigenous development, stable funding, and integration into a comprehensive, layered national air and missile defense structure.
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