Long-Range Missiles
Israel is believed to have aided Taiwan in building its Ching Feng (100 km/275 kg), a Lance-look-alike. This model was never deployed, but its development aided later work on the Sky Horse, a ballistic missile estimated to have a range/payload capability of 1,000 km/500 kg. Work on the Sky Horse apparently was abandoned in 1981. If it were developed and deployed in the future, the Sky Horse would put the eastern part of mainland China within striking distance. In 1989, Taipei announced space launch plans and saying that it "should be able to launch an approximately 200-pound satellite within the next 5 years." This suggestted that the Sky Horse might be resurrected as a space launch vehicle. However, progress in a space launch enterprise has not been evidenced.
Sources and Resources
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/taiwan/missile/
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Updated Tuesday, August 24, 1999 1:21:48 PM
