The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has confirmed the start of serial production of the upgraded version of the Tien Kung III surface-to-air ballistic missile system, known as Tien Kung IV, for Taiwan’s Armed Forces.
NCSIST president Li Shih-chiang (李世強) stated during an event ahead of the 2025 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) that the decision to showcase the system indicated it had already entered mass production. It was the first time the missile, its launcher, and the associated radar were publicly displayed.
Li explained that Taiwan’s air defense does not rely on a single weapon, but rather on an integrated system. According to him, the upgraded Tien Kung III, also referred to as the Strong Bow (強弓) program, is designed to intercept high-altitude cruise missiles and ballistic missiles at up to 70 kilometers. Other air defense missiles will continue to be employed to counter lower-altitude threats, he added.
Meanwhile, Lu Chien-sheng (盧健勝), deputy director of the Sky Bow program, affirmed that the new system corresponds to a mid-phase ground-based defense designed to counter China’s tactical ballistic missiles. He added that it is the first domestically produced surface-to-air system equipped with an active electronically scanned array (AESA) fire-control radar, providing greater accuracy, improved situational awareness, and the capability to track and engage multiple targets simultaneously.
Lu further noted that the Tien Kung IV will operate alongside other ground-based defense systems, such as the current Tien Kung III and the U.S.-made Patriot PAC-3, with the aim of building a comprehensive defense network for Taiwan.
The TADTE exhibition will run from Thursday to Saturday at the Nangang Exhibition Center, with participation from the Ministry of National Defense’s Armaments Bureau and NCSIST, among others.
Background
In 2023, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported the installation of 12 new Tien Kung III missile system sites as part of a plan to strengthen defensive capabilities against threats from China. The report, submitted to the legislature on October 20 of that year, also detailed the modernization of Tien Kung II (TK II) missiles and MIM-23 Hawk systems.
The first phase of this project began in 2022, with the adaptation of six TK II missile sites to make them compatible with future TK III systems, scheduled for completion in 2025. The remaining six sites began modernization in early 2023 and were expected to be ready before 2026.
The TK III, predecessor to the current Tien Kung IV, was designed to intercept aircraft, cruise missiles, anti-radiation missiles, and short-range missiles. It also features a radar capable of tracking multiple targets, an identification friend-or-foe (IFF) system, and electronic countermeasures. Within Taiwan’s air defense architecture, it operates alongside U.S.-made Patriot missiles as part of the low-altitude coverage layer.
Cover image for illustrative purposes.
