TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A Taiwan-developed rocket malfunctioned during a rare live-fire military exercise Tuesday (June 9), falling to the ground approximately 400 meters (around 1,312 feet) from its launcher after its second-stage propellant failed to ignite, the army said. The incident marked an embarrassing setback during the first operational-area firing of the Thunderbolt-2000 multiple launch rocket system in seven years.
The malfunction occurred at approximately 8:24 a.m. as the third of three Thunderbolt-2000 rocket vehicles was firing its payload near the Dajia River (大甲溪) estuary in Taichung. The rocket was the seventh fired from that vehicle. It launched normally but its tail flame extinguished shortly after leaving the launch tube, causing it to fall a short distance away, witnesses and military officials said.
Col. Weng Yi-ming (翁一銘), chief of staff for the 58th Artillery Command, said the rocket successfully ignited and left its launch box but likely experienced a problem when its second-stage propellant was supposed to fire. Technicians from the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (中科院), Taiwan's primary defense research agency, have begun analyzing the cause.
Weng said the rocket landed within the exercise's designated safety zone and caused no injuries or equipment damage. The military was using MK15 training rounds, which do not contain explosive warheads, he added.
The drill simulated enemy amphibious forces attempting to land on beaches in central Taiwan. The Thunderbolt-2000 system, developed domestically and capable of striking targets up to 45 kilometers (28 miles) away (MK45 munitions), was tasked with delivering area suppression fire.
The system has experienced malfunctions in the past, including at least one incident that caused a launch vehicle to catch fire, officials said. Weng acknowledged that inspection protocols had been strengthened based on "accumulated experience from past misfires and equipment anomalies."
Tuesday's firing was delayed from its scheduled 8 a.m. start due to poor weather and extended safety checks. Weng said technicians conducted more detailed inspections of propellant systems and ignition devices before firing.
The exercise marked a departure from past training, officials said. Maj. Liao Neng-cheng (廖能政), the rocket battery commander, said units entered positions only one day before the exercise, compared with a week in previous years. Crews also adapted to soft beach sand by installing special base plates.
The two-day exercise was scheduled to continue Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether the malfunction would affect the remaining schedule. ◼