DEFENSE/Taiwan launches Sky Bow, PAC-IIs in rare public missile drills

Taipei, Aug. 20 (CNA) Taiwan's military demonstrated its precision missile capabilities on Tuesday by firing its indigenous Tien-Kung III (Sky Bow III) land-based surface-to-air missile and U.S.-made Patriot PAC-II surface-to-air missiles in drills opened to the media.

The round of exercises was held early on Tuesday in areas around Jiupeng Base in southern Pingtung County's Manzhou Township. Two PAC-II missiles and one Sky Bow III were fired and successfully hit their respective target drones.

Multiple local media also speculated that the military also test-launched the expanded version of Hsiung Feng II-E or "Brave Wind II-E" from the same site earlier Tuesday. That part of the exercises was not officially open to the media, however.

The Hsiung Feng II-E is a surface-to-surface land-attack cruise missile system. Its expanded version reportedly has a range 1,200 kilometers, meaning that inland provinces of China, for instance, would be within the missile's reach.

Without confirming nor denying the test launch of the Hsiung Feng II-E, military spokesman Sun Li-fang (孫立方) told local media on Tuesday that all of the military's live-fire drills were conducted in accordance with its annual plan.

"Some of the tested missiles are more sensitive so we won't comment on what kind of missiles were used in such drills," Sun said.

The drill ground in Jiupeng Base has been used for decades by the military and its top weapons development unit, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). However, the military has seldom made public such missile firing drills.

The last time precision live-fire missile drills open to the media were held in Jiupeng was in 2012.