Sky Sword II

The Sky Sword II (Chinese: 天劍二, Tien Chien II), or TC-2, is a medium-range, radar guided air-to-air missile. It has an inertial navigation system, a data-link for mid-course guidance and active radar homing for terminal guidance, beyond visual range. It also has ECCM capability and can engage multiple targets.[1] According to Su Tzu-yun, Chief Executive Officer at the Center for Advanced Technology at Tamkang University, they are a cost-effective design which can perform a key role in Taiwan's defense strategy, and substantially offset China’s air superiority.[2] Some details of its design were revealed for the first time at the Paris Air Show in 2015.[3] The pulse doppler radar seeker reportedly has a detection range of 9.3km.[4]

For the short-range missile, see Sky Sword I.
ROCAF F-CK-1A at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base with two TC-1 on the wingtips and two TC-2 underbody

Development

Development of the Sky Sword II family began during the 1990s.[5][1]

Service history

In 2017 a Sky Sword II launched by a F-CK-1 during a training exercise failed to ignite and fell into the sea.[6] In 2019 TC-1 and TC-2 models were among 117 missiles fired during a training exercise off Taiwan’s west coast.[7]

Variants
TC-II Sky Sword 2 (original air-to-air version)

TC-2N

A ship-launched, surface-to-air version was later developed and designated TC-2N. It began development in 1994, and a ground-based test was first carried out against a low-flying drone in 1997. This development was revealed to the public in 2005 and the intention to make it compatible with vertical launch methods was later announced in 2006. The first ship-based launch was held in mid 2014.[8] In the naval role the TC-2N fills an air defense gap between the Phalanx CIWS and SM-2 systems[9] and with a range of 30km.[10]

The missile has all-weather capability, is equipped with a thrust-vectoring booster to increase its range as well as maneuverability during launch phase (although early ship-based launch trials were carried out without this feature), and can engage anti-ship missiles and aircraft. It also has folding control surfaces to be quad-packed into either above-deck oblique launchers or in-deck vertical launch systems.[8]

TC-2A

TC-2A is an anti-radiation missile, similar to the AGM-88 HARM. The TC-2A program began soon after the completion of the TC-2. It fills the requirement of the ROCAF for an Anti-Radiation Missile to arm the F-CK-1.[11] It is reported to be 3.593 meters long, 19 cm in diameter, weighs 184 kg (warhead weighs 22 kg), and with a range of 100 km. The passive radar seeker on the TC-2A has been reported as having a detection range of 92km.[12]

TC-2C

TC-2C is an advanced air-to-air version first tested in 2017 and intended to replace the standard TC-2. It features a number of incremental improvements including an improved rocket motor which allows an engagement range of 100km.[13]

Surface-to-Air TC-2

The land based version of the TC-2N features the missile packaged in a sealed container-launcher.[14] NCSIST has exhibited a truck mounted version with four missile pods.[15] The TC-2 air-defense system was exhibited at International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi with a reported canister length of 4m and an all up weight (combined canister and round) of 350kg. It reportedly has midcourse inertial guidance with data link and terminal active radar guidance and electronic counter-countermeasure (EECM) and protection, but a reported effective range of only 15km.[16]

Six batteries with 246 missiles were ordered in 2019.[17]

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See also

Similar weapons

References
  1. "NCSIST". www.ncsist.org.tw. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  2. "Redefining Taiwan's air defense - Taipei Times".
  3. "Weapons institute releases new video to be aired at Paris show - Politics - FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS".
  4. "Active Radar Seeker (AAM MR, Sky Sword II)". cmano-db.com. CMANO. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  5. "NCSIST". www.ncsist.org.tw. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  6. Claudia Liu, Elaine Hou and. "Air Force reports another missile glitch". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  7. Everington, Keoni. "Taiwan fires over 100 missiles during China war drills". www.taiwannews.com.tw. Taiwan News. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  8. "NCSIST". www.ncsist.org.tw. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  9. "Tien Chien-2N (TC-2N)". missiledefenseadvocacy.org. Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  10. "Surface-to-Air TC-2 Mid-range Air-defense Missile". http://www.ncsist.org.tw/eng/csistdup/main/Default.aspx. National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology. Retrieved 2019-10-22. External link in |website= (help)
  11. Hsu, Brian. "Report says military developing new missile". taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  12. "Passive Radar Seeker (Sky Sword IIA)". cmano-db.com. CMANO. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  13. Lo Tien-pin and, Jonathan Chin. "Extended-range missiles ready for use". www.taipeitimes.com. Taipei Times. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  14. "Taiwan develops new TC-2 short-range tactical air-defence system". defence-blog.com. defence-blog.com. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  15. "Land-Based Air Defense Missile System". ncsist.org.tw. NCSIST. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  16. "IDEX 2019: Land-based TC-2 air defense missile system by NCSIST". armyrecognition.com. Army Recognition. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  17. Zhezheng, Hong. "Army purchases Chinese Academy of Sciences Sword II land-fired air defense missile vehicle". udn.com. Retrieved 19 January 2020.

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