Taiwan is likely improving its ability to retaliate against the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) precision strikes. Taiwan could use this capability to deter PRC aggression or strike critical centers of gravity in a cross-Strait invasion. Taiwanese media reported on September 3 that Taiwan’s 2027 defense budget revealed the existence of a long-range cruise missile that could target significant portions of the PRC. The cruise missile, called the Ching Tien I, has a maximum reported range of 1,500 km and can reach speeds of Mach 3.
Taiwan’s 2027 defense budget revealed that the Ching Tien I entered service within the Taiwanese military and is in serial production. Taipei Times reported that the Ching Tien I can only be fired from fixed installations, making them vulnerable to a first strike. The 2027 budget also revealed the existence of the Ching Tien II program to improve upon the first variant’s capabilities. The upgraded cruise missile will have a range of 2,000 km, reach speeds of Mach 5, and can be fired from road-mobile launchers.
