Taiwan launches the development of land-based air defense system


According to information released by the Taiwan News website on August 30, 2020, Taiwanese armed forces would like to develop a new short-range air defense similar to the American-made Phalanx Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS). Taiwan has requested the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology NCSIST to study the development of a land-base CIWS.
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Centurion C-RAM Land-based weapon system Phalanx at DSEI defense exhibition in September 2009. (Picture source Army Recognition)


In August 2019, Taiwan has requested the purchase of Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) to the United States under the project name of "Sky Falcon II", but the negotiations were not successful.

National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) is a Taiwanese state-owned corporation, formerly part of the Republic of China Ministry of National Defense's Armaments Bureau, which is active in the development, manufacturing, support, and sustainment of various weapons systems and dual-use technologies.

The NCSIST has already integrated CIWS on a truck trailer that was previously mounted on Taiwanese Navy’s Yang Tzu-class warships. The institute mentioned it had already outfitted the Air Force’s Songshan radar station with a CIWS that had originally been mounted on a decommissioned Navy ship and that transferring the weapon onto a trailer would not be a problem.

The Taiwanese armed forces have requested a new air defense system that could be linked to the Skyguard. The Oerlikon Skyguard 1 uses two Oerlikon Twin Gun GDF007 35mm anti-aircraft cannons which can be coupled to two surface-to-air missile launchers (Sparrow, Aspide, SAHV-IR or Adats). The 35mm anti-aircraft twin-gun is the weapon that is used for short-range air defense against fighters, bombers, and helicopters.

The Centurion Weapon System is a Land-Based Phalanx Weapon System with the capability of integration with other protection sensors and systems. The system is designed and manufactured by the American Company Raytheon. Phalanx is a rapid-fire, computer-controlled radar and 20 mm gun system that automatically acquires, tracks, and destroys enemy threats that have penetrated all other ship defense systems.