TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Taiwanese Air Force confirmed on Friday (Dec. 19) that the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 國家中山科學研究院) successfully mounted the air-launched Hsiung Feng III (雄風三型飛彈) on the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo (經國號), also known as Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), and completed its first firing verification.
The military Facebook community "IDF Ching-kuo" (IDF經國號) revealed that a single-seat Ching-kuo, numbered 1490, took off from Taitung Chihhang Base (志航基地) on Thursday (Dec. 18), carrying a test missile on its right wing. After completing the firing, the aircraft returned to the base, showcasing a successful test flight. The air-launched Hsiung Feng III missile project will proceed to the operational evaluation phase if future tests continue to meet requirements.
This missile features a smaller body than its ship-launched and land-launched counterparts, omitting the original two boosters to reduce weight, making it suitable for mounting under the IDF jet's wings. Taiwan's military equipment development follows a five-stage process, including concept demonstration, engineering development, research and development evaluation, operational evaluation, and mass production. The engineering development stage may merge with the concept demonstration phase, streamlining the process.