DEFENSE/Taiwan-made fighter jet tests air-launched HF-3 missile: Source

Taipei, Feb. 21 (CNA) An Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) jet recently conducted an exercise equipped with an air-launched variant of the Hsiung Feng-III (HF-3) missile, a source familiar with the matter told CNA on Friday.

However, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would not confirm whether it was a live-fire test.

The revelation came after a picture of an IDF carrying the air-launched HF-3 missile was published by a report in the Chinese-language United Daily News Friday morning.

This missile variant, which has undergone intensive testing, is still being developed by Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), a military official who asked to remain anonymous said without providing details.

According to the source, the air-launched HF-3 missile is smaller than the ship-based and land-based variants, allowing it to be mounted under the wings of the indigenous jet fighter.

Since the missile is launched from a fighter jet, the two side boosters in the original HF-3 have been omitted for weight reduction, the source said, indicating that the air-launched HF-3 could enhance the long-range strike capabilities of the IDF.

Due to the highly sensitive nature of its development, the NCSIST has remained tight-lipped about the details and refused to comment on the report on Friday.