Taiwan appears to be moving toward adding a supersonic anti-ship cruise missile to its F-CK-1C/D Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF). The current timeline for the introduction of the air-launched version of the homegrown HF-3 missile is unclear, but when fully integrated, it will provide the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) with a powerful new capability to better counter China’s growing naval might.
A photo of an F-CK-1 carrying a HF-3 missile was recently published by Taiwan’s United Daily News. The image, submitted by an anonymous reader of that newspaper, appears to show test rounds of the missile, which is part of the Hsiung Feng, or Brave Wind series. One of the large missiles is carried under each wing. The jet also has a 275-gallon fuel tank under the fuselage and AIM-9P Sidewinder air-to-air missiles on the wingtip stations. The HF-3 carries calibration marks that are used to make it easier to monitor a store after launch.
UDN published what appears to be the first clear image of an air-launched HF-3 dummy round, if not shopped.
It seems to have a rotating sleeve at the end for initial stabilization? pic.twitter.com/KRrfTdqQ37
— Taepodong (@stoa1984) February 21, 2025
Liberty Times just published another image.
If goes well, it could lend the F-CK-1 a second life, maybe even leading to further development of an indigenous support fighter (ISF) — that is me fantasizing. pic.twitter.com/9UqHKZotBB— Taepodong (@stoa1984) February 21, 2025
The article notes that the ROCAF and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) have resumed work on the air-launched HF-3, “which was previously reported to have been stalled for a long time.” The NCSIST, which originally developed the HF-3 for launch from warships and ground launchers, is a state research and development agency broadly similar to the Pentagon’s DARPA but with its own production capability.
Reportedly, work originally began in 2022 to reduce the size of the HF-3 for aircraft carriage, including plans for the production of a small batch of the ‘compact’ version of the missile. The UDN story notes that, at some point after this, the project was suspended, but work had been restarted by September 2024, with further research and tests conducted “in the sea and air.” As a result, the air-launched HF-3 should be ready to undergo operational evaluation later this year.
A model of a surface/ground-launched HF-3 missile. The additional solid-propellant boosters are removed from the air-launched version. 玄史生/Wikimedia Commons
The original plan for the air-launched HF-3 was intended to be completed by 2028, although it’s not immediately clear if this has since changed as a result of the program pause.
According to the UDN report, the air-launched version of the HF-3 is 5.5 meters (18 feet) long, with a diameter of no more than 36 centimeters (14 inches), and a weight of less than 900 kilograms (1,980 pounds). The original HF-3 was 6.1 meters (20 feet) long, with a diameter of 46 centimeters (18 inches), and weighed around 1,400 kilograms (3,090 pounds).
As an air-launched anti-ship weapon, the HF-3 offers several notable advantages over the U.S.-supplied AGM-84 Harpoon otherwise used by the ROCAF in this role — although this is not compatible with the F-CK-1, instead being used by the F-16, as you can read about here.
A ROCAF F-16 armed with Harpoon missiles during an anti-invasion drill on a highway road in Chang-Hua, Taiwan, in May 2019. Photo by Patrick Aventurier/Getty Images Aventurier Patrick
The HF-3’s liquid-fuel ramjet motor provides supersonic performance, compared to the subsonic Harpoon. With a top speed of Mach 3.5, the HF-3 is much harder to defend against. Range figures published for the missile differ, with some accounts suggesting a short-range version can hit targets at around 120-150 kilometers (75-93 miles), increasing to 300-400 kilometers (186-249 miles) in long-range form. It’s unclear which version the air-launched HF-3 best corresponds to. However, launching the missile from a fast-moving fighter at altitude should help boost overall range regardless. In comparison, the air-launched Harpoon has a range of around 80 miles in the AGM-84L form that is the most capable model operated by the ROCAF.
At the same time, air launch obviates the need for separate booster motors to bring the HF-3 up to the speed at which the ramjet can start to operate. According to reports, removing the solid-propellant boosters trimmed around 200 kilograms (440 pounds) from the missile’s weight, helping make it more suitable for aircraft carriage. However, further weight and size-reduction measures were still necessary.
Like Harpoon, the HF-3 is guided by an inertial navigation system (INS) with terminal active radar homing. In surface/ground-launched form, it is armed with a 265-pound high-explosive, semi-armor piercing warhead, although this may well be smaller in the air-launched version. The warhead is reportedly triggered by a smart fuse designed to direct most of the explosive energy downward, into the ship’s hull, for maximum destructive effect.
Test launch of an HF-3 missile from a Tuo Chiang class corvette of the Republic of China Navy. Taiwan Ministry of National Defense
Chinese naval forces have been rapidly expanding in recent years, in general, which has already prompted the Taiwanese military to seek a variety of new and improved anti-ship capabilities.
Anti-ship missiles launched from the land, from warships, and from ROCAF fighters are already a very important component of Taiwan’s defensive plans, designed to thwart a potential Chinese move on the island.
In an ROCAF context, TWZ has previously reported:
“The pairing of F-16 and AGM-84 Harpoon is a key element in Taiwan’s ability to defend important strategic waterways and territorial claims against a maritime opponent. The ROCAF operates a mix of older Harpoons plus the newer Block II AGM-84Ls.”
You can read more about Taiwan’s AGM-84s here and about the missile in general in this past TWZ piece.
A model of an HF-3 missile during the Kaohsiung International Maritime and Defense Exhibition in 2016. SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images SAM YEH
The air-launched HF-3 would be a potent complement to the Harpoon. This is especially true when it comes to pushing anti-ship missile kill zones farther from Taiwan’s shores and in a far more unpredictable and responsive manner. However, it would likely be limited to carriage by the F-CK-1, at least in the shorter term.
If a war with China were to break out, anti-ship missiles of all kinds would be absolutely critical in providing Taiwan with any hope of slowing an all-out advance by the People’s Liberation Army Navy. As such, the continued effort to field a more capable air-launched anti-ship missile is increasingly seen as a necessary deterrent as tensions between Taipei and Beijing continue.
Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com
