Taiwan has unveiled a prototype cruise missile, developed jointly with a US arms maker and set to be manufactured on the island, as it tries to build up its weapons industry to deter any possible military threats from China.
The government-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan’s top arms manufacturer, showcased the “low-cost autonomous cruise missile” it developed together with Anduril Industries, a relative newcomer to the ranks of American defense contractors, ahead of the island’s largest defense expo that began Thursday.
China views Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to seize it – by force if necessary. Under leader Xi Jinping, China has intensified military, diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan, regularly sending fighter jets and warships, looking to squeeze its presence on the world stage.
In the face of the China threat, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te recently announced that Taiwan will raise defense spending to 5% of its GDP before 2030.
Adapted from Anduril’s Barracuda-500, an autonomous, low-cost loitering ammunition launched from aircraft that is undergoing tests by the US military, the new land-mobile missile can be used against targets at sea or on land. NCSIST did not give a range for the missile.
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