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The Sky Bow, or Tien Kung (), are a series of
surface-to-air A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-a ...
anti-ballistic missile An anti-ballistic missile (ABM) is a surface-to-air missile designed to Missile defense, destroy in-flight ballistic missiles. They achieve this explosively (chemical or nuclear), or via hit-to-kill Kinetic projectile, kinetic vehicles, which ma ...
and anti-aircraft defense systems developed by
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
's
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST; ) is a Taiwanese state owned corporation, formerly part of the Ministry of National Defense's Armaments Bureau, which is active in the development, manufacturing, support, and ...
(NCSIST). Development of the TK-1 was completed in 1986 and this system is now retired. The TK-2 and TK-3 are in service with the
Military of the Republic of China The Republic of China Armed Forces ( zh, t=中華民國國軍) are the national military forces of the Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC), which is now based primarily in the Taiwan Area but Republic of China (1912–1949), formerly governed Mai ...
. TK-4 is in development.


Development

Research into what became the Sky Bow project began after the United States ended bilateral relations with the Republic of China in 1979. Other names proposed by chief engineer Chen Chuan-hao for the project included Sky Horse (Pegasus) and Flying Horse. Upon formal approval of the project in October 1980, it became known as Sky Bow. Under the influence of aerospace engineer and rocket scientist Huang Hsiao-tsung the project expanded to include testing of
ramjet A ramjet is a form of airbreathing jet engine that requires forward motion of the engine to provide air for combustion. Ramjets work most efficiently at supersonic speeds around and can operate up to . Ramjets can be particularly appropriat ...
motors. In 1981 the project received increased support from minister of defense Sung Chang-chih and was expanded into a general purpose air defense project benchmarked to the American Patriot and Soviet
2K12 Kub The 2K12 ''"Kub"'' (; English: 'cube') (NATO reporting name: SA-6 "Gainful") mobile surface-to-air missile system is a Soviet Union, Soviet low to medium-level air defence system designed to protect ground forces from air attack. ''2К12'' is ...
. Sung set a seven year deadline for the project. The first test flight in 1982 ended in failure as did other early test flights. Huang left the project in 1982 for an executive role at NCSIST. In 1984 Taiwan gained the cooperation of
Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
and was allowed to examine semi-obsolete missiles in detail. NCSIST experts traveled to the United States studied the technology, but they were not allowed to ask any questions and quickly came to the conclusion that many of the missiles they had been allowed to examine were old and had been damaged while in storage. Dedicated facilities needed to be constucted to support the developent of the TK-1 including Taiwan's first
hypersonic wind tunnel A hypersonic wind tunnel is designed to generate a hypersonic flow field in the working section, thus simulating the typical flow features of this flow regime - including compression shocks and pronounced boundary layer effects, entropy layer and ...
. In 1986 the 12th flight test ended in a successful intercept of a target aircraft, the system's first. The system was officially unveiled in 1986 at a large ceremony presided over by premier
Yu Kuo-hua Yu Kuo-hwa (; January 10, 1914 – October 4, 2000) was a Taiwanese economist who served as the Premier of the Republic of China from 1984 to 1989. Biography Yu was born on 10 January 1914 in Fenghua, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. After graduatin ...
. Its designation it was given, Zhongzheng 100/Sky Bow 1, referred to its 100km range. Missiles initially used a
semi-active radar homing Semi-active radar homing (SARH) is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive dete ...
seeker. A passive
infrared homing Infrared homing is a Missile guidance#Passive homing, passive weapon guidance system which uses the infrared (IR) light emission from a target to track and follow it seamlessly. Missiles which use infrared seeking are often referred to as "he ...
terminal seeker was also developed as a secondary seeker for the TK-1, this was successfully tested against a HAWK missile target but was never put into production. NCSIST also developed a large multifunction, phased-array radar known as Chang Bai (long white) for use with the Tien Kung (Sky Bow) series surface-to-air missile systems with 120 degree coverage and a maximum range of 450 km. Two versions of the phased array radar exist, a towed trailer radar and fixed "hardened" radar sites.Mei, Fu S. "Medium Range Air Defense Radar," Taiwan Defense Review, June 19, 2006."Tien Kung Weapon System"
''Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology''
The Chang Bai radar system is reported to be based on the Lockheed Martin's ADAR-HP (Air Defense Array Radar-High Power) design and operates in the 2–4 GHz range (S-band). At least seven systems were said to be in service in 2006. The system performance specifications remain classified, but its effective detection range against a 1m2 target is reported to be around 400 km. There was also a mobile version of the phased array radar developed in the late 1990s which could provide all-round radar cover with four separate faces but with a much decreased detection range. This version only appeared in public once but was never put into service. The development of Sky Bow 2 started around 1986, this added a tandem boost motor and an
active radar homing Active radar homing (ARH) is a missile guidance method in which a missile contains a radar transceiver (in contrast to semi-active radar homing, which uses only a passive radar, receiver) and the electronics necessary for it to find and track it ...
terminal seeker. Proposals were reported to develop Sky Bow 2 into a
surface-to-surface missile A surface-to-surface missile (SSM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea and strike targets on land or at sea. They may be fired from hand-held or vehicle mounted devices, from fixed installations, or from a ship. They ar ...
; unconfirmed reports suggest that this missile is known as Tien Chi. Modifications have been developed for Sky Bow 2, changing it into a single-stage rocket and to provide it with a limited capability against shorter-range ballistic missiles; the first test firing against a ballistic missile target was reported in September 2008.Mei, Fu S. "Taiwan Tests TK-2A ATBM," Taiwan Defense Review, September 18, 1998. Seven batteries were in service in 2006. In 2010 TK-1/2 SAMs were in service and deployed throughout Taiwan, on the
Pescadores The Penghu ( , Hokkien POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘''  or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, about west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Channel, cover ...
, and Dong Ying island."The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait"
''US-Taiwan Business Council'', May 2010.
Chen claims that the Sky Bow I project was completed in less time and using less money than any comparable air defense system. The project was NCSIST's first ambitious weapons project and its success would have a large influence on the organization.


Sky Bow I

The Sky Bow I (TK-1) (, Tien Kung I) is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the NCSIST in Taiwan. Originally based on the aerodynamics of the
MIM-23 Hawk The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK ("Homing All the Way Killer") is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile. It was designed to be a much more mobile counterpart to the MIM-14 Nike Hercules, trading off range and altitude capability for a much sm ...
missile, the original missile design resembled a scaled-up Raytheon
AIM-54 Phoenix The AIM-54 Phoenix is an American active radar-guided, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (AAM), carried in clusters of up to six missiles on the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, its only operational launch platform. The AIM-54 Phoenix was the United S ...
.O'Halloran, James C. "Tien Kung I low-to-medium-altitude surface-to-air-missile system, pages 299-300," Jane's Land-Based Air Defense, 2002-2003 Edition. The TK-1 missile was subsequently redesigned and eventually became very similar in appearance to the US
Patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
missile after the US government allowed
Raytheon Raytheon is a business unit of RTX Corporation and is a major U.S. defense contractor and industrial corporation with manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. Founded in 1922, it merged in 2020 with Unite ...
to transfer 85 percent of the MIM-104 Patriot missile technology. There is no
track-via-missile Track-via-missile or TVM refers to a missile guidance technique which combines features of semi-active radar homing (SARH) and radio command guidance. This avoids the problems with terminal accuracy normally seen by command guided missiles, espec ...
(TVM) homing capability as this technology was not included in the technology package licensed to Taiwan; the TK-1 system operates in a similar manner to the US
Standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...
SM2 missile, requiring an illuminating radar during the terminal phase. The TK-1 is designed primarily to target low and medium altitude attacks. Each TK-1 battery has one Change Bai 1 (Long White 1) S-Band phased-array radar for search and target tracking and two CS/MPG-25 target illuminator radars that operates in the X-Band (18–32 GHz) range for the terminal phase, servicing three or four 4-round missile launchers. The combination of inertial/autopilot and mid-course command guidance with a terminal semi-active radar seeker allows the TK-1 missile to fly an energy-efficient flight path to the vicinity of the target where the seeker's semi-active radar would then receive target illumination for the final seconds of the engagement, giving the target minimum amount of time either to evade or commence
electronic countermeasure An electronic countermeasure (ECM) is an electrical or electronic device designed to trick or deceive radar, sonar, or other detection systems, like infrared (IR) or lasers. It may be used both offensively and defensively to deny targeting info ...
(ECM). Two versions of the missile launcher exist, one is housed in underground shelters designed to survive an intensive attack. The other is a towed mobile version, and is an integral part of Taiwan's dense air defense network. In addition to bases on Taiwan proper, the TK-1 has also been deployed by the ROC Army on the outlying islands of Penghu and Dong Ying, bringing all of the Taiwan Strait and parts of the
PRC China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the second-most populous country after India, representing 17.4% of the world population. China spans the e ...
's
Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
,
Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
and
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
Provinces within range. It was reported in Jane's Missiles and Rockets, August 2006's issue, that the Tien Kung 1 surface-to-air missile (SAM) system would be retired. The TK-1 missiles would be replaced with TK-2 missile rounds and the existing TK-1 system would be upgraded with radar and training simulator to the Tien Kung II standard.


CS/MPG-25 target illuminator radars

The CS/MPG-25 X-band target illuminator radar entered service in the late 1980s. It has a reported maximum range of 222km and a ceiling of 30,480m. The CS/MPG-25 is a continuous wave disk antenna illuminator radar that was indigenously developed by NCSIST, and was derived from the I-HAWK
AN/MPQ-46 The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK ("Homing All the Way Killer") is an American medium-range surface-to-air missile. It was designed to be a much more mobile counterpart to the MIM-14 Nike Hercules, trading off range and altitude capability for a much s ...
High-Power Illuminator (HPI) radar but is estimated to be 60 percent more powerful in output with improved EW,
ECM ECM may refer to the following: Economics and commerce * Engineering change management * Equity capital markets * Error correction model, an econometric model * European Common Market Mathematics * Lenstra's Elliptic curve method for factor ...
, and
IFF In logic and related fields such as mathematics and philosophy, "if and only if" (often shortened as "iff") is paraphrased by the biconditional, a logical connective between statements. The biconditional is true in two cases, where either both ...
capabilities. It is tied into the main phased-array radar on a time-share basis similar to that employ by the US Navy's
AEGIS The aegis ( ; ''aigís''), as stated in the ''Iliad'', is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a deity named Aex, a ...
air defence system, allowing the TK-1 surface-to-air missile system multiple target engagement capability.


General characteristics

* Primary Function:
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
* Power Plant: Single-stage dual-thrust solid-fuel rocket motor * Launch platform: Towed quad launchers and underground silos * Length: 5.3 m * Diameter: 0.41 m * Weight: 915 kg * Top Speed: Mach 4.0 * Range: 70 km * Guidance: Inertial with mid-course guidance update from ground-based phased array radar, Semi-active radar homing (
SARH Semi-active radar homing (SARH) is a common type of missile guidance system, perhaps the most common type for longer-range air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems. The name refers to the fact that the missile itself is only a passive dete ...
) for terminal guidance * Date Deployed: 1986


Sky Bow II

The Sky Bow II (TK-2) ( zh, t=天弓二, labels=no, Tien Kung II) is a SAM system also developed by the NCSIST. Originally a TK-1 with a first-stage booster, the system became a slightly-enlarged modified version of the Sky Bow I (TK-1) missile using an X-Band active-radar seeker,Mei, Fu S. "CSIST Seeks New Seeker," Taiwan Defense Review, January 15, 2002. with a longer range and limited anti-missile capability. The TK-2 active radar seeker operates in the 28–32 GHz frequency range and provides reasonably good performance against air-breathing targets of typical aircraft size. The X-Band active radar seeker used on the TK-2 SAM system was developed from licensed radar technology that NCSIST purchased from the U.S. in the 1980s. The system uses the improved Change Bai 2 (Long White 2) multifunction radar which entered service in the late 1990s. The first public test of the TK-2, codenamed Magic Arrow 43, occurred on May 10, 2002 during the Han kuang 18 exercise. The TK-2 also has the added benefit of being able to use the same box launcher as the TK-1. Internal components were replaced with miniaturized parts to take advantage of modern electronics technologies, yielding extra room within the missile for more fuel and a more powerful main rocket motor. The TK-2 possesses only modest capabilities against ballistic missiles but is highly effective against aircraft.


General characteristics

* Primary Function: surface-to-air missile * Power Plant: Single-stage dual-thrust solid-fuel rocket motor * Launch platform: Underground silos and mobile launch vehicles * Length: 5.673 mFu S. Mei. "More Sounding Rocket Missions," Taiwan Defense Review, February 11, 2003. * Diameter: 0.42 m * Weight: 1,135 kg * Top Speed: Mach 4.5O'Halloran, James C. "Tien Kung II, pages 298-299," Jane's Land-Based Air Defense, 2002-2003 Edition. * Warhead: 90 kg * Range: 150 km * Guidance: Inertial with mid-course guidance update from ground-based phased array radar, Active radar homing ( ARH) for terminal guidance * Date Deployed: 1997


Variants


Sky Spear


Sounding rocket

The TK-2 has also been modified for use as a
sounding rocket A sounding rocket or rocketsonde, sometimes called a research rocket or a suborbital rocket, is an instrument-carrying rocket designed to take measurements and perform scientific experiments during its sub-orbital flight. The rockets are often ...
to perform upper atmospheric research for the civilian space program. The sounding rocket test vehicle launched on December 24, 2003, measures 7.7m in overall length and 1,680 kg in launch weight.Mei, Fu S. "Taiwan Forming Missile Command," Taiwan Defense Review, February 16, 2004. It reached a maximum altitude of almost 270 km and splashed 142 km down range around 8 minutes after launch into the Pacific.Mei, Fu S. "Satellite Prospects," Taiwan Defense Review, October 20, 2004. The science mission payload was in the weight class and the rocket reached a burnout velocity of 2,000 m/s. According to the report from Taiwan Defense Review, depending on its payload and launch parameters, the rocket can be converted to attain a horizontal maximum range of up to 500 km.


Sky Bow III

Sky Bow III (TK-3) ( zh, t=天弓三, labels=no, Tien Kung III) is the third generation of the missile system. Taiwan had initially sought and even proposed a joint development effort to co-produced a missile defense interceptor with the U.S. Taiwan officials asked for U.S. technical support for Taiwan's indigenous anti-tactical ballistic missile (ATBM) effort, including the transfer of Hit-to-Kill (HTK) technologies, specifically those related to an active radar Ka-band seeker and precision attitude control. NCSIST was reported to had sought the release of the associated
traveling-wave tube A traveling-wave tube (TWT, pronounced "twit") or traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA, pronounced "tweeta") is a specialized vacuum tube that is used in electronics to amplify radio frequency (RF) signals in the microwave range. It was invented ...
(TWT) transmitter of the Ka-band active radar seeker technology. However, U.S. refusal of the export release of a complete Ka-band active radar seeker without tamper protection or to provide the TWT on a stand-alone basis forced NCSIST to use a different active radar seeker technology with a little European content.Mei, Fu S. "Retaining Missile Defense Focus," Taiwan Defense Review, March 27, 2006. The TK-3 (formerly known as TK-2 ATBM) was conceived as a lower-tier missile defense system based on the TK-2 missile that uses an imported Ku-Band (12–18 GHz) active radar seeker, a directed fragmentation warhead, and improved precision controls for engaging high-speed, low
radar cross-section Radar cross-section (RCS), denoted σ, also called radar signature, is a measure of how detectable an object is by radar. A larger RCS indicates that an object is more easily detected. An object reflects a limited amount of radar energy b ...
(RCS) targets such as tactical ballistic missiles. It is designed with greater mobility in mind than the original TK-1/2 systems, with an integrated battle management system, and uses an upgraded Chang Bai phased array radar or with the new mobile phased-array radar that is reportedly called the Mobile 3-Dimensional (3D) Air Defense Fire Control Phased Array Radar (Mobile 3D ADFCPAR). The new mobile radar reportedly called Chang-Shan ("Long Mountain") radar system, like the Patriot's Raytheon AN/MPQ-65 radar system, is reported to operate on the C-Band (4–8 GHz) frequency range, and like the AN/MPQ-65 system, it is trailer-mounted with a rectangular planar array radar of approximately similar size. However, it does not appear to have any identifiable missile guidance sub-array like those found below the main array on the AN/MPQ-65 system and it is therefore not clear if this new radar can provide target guidance illumination function in support of TK-1 SARH missiles. However, this should not present any problem for the new radar to be utilized on both TK-2 missile (X-Band) and TK-3 missile (Ku-Band) active radar seekers, as these missile systems do not require target illumination. The new radar enhances the survivability and operational flexibility of the TK2/3 missile systems by allowing a TK surface-air-missile battery to be deployed rapidly to a previously unprepared site. The TK-3 incorporates advanced ceramics and carbon fiber in its construction. The missile's nose cone can resist temperatures in excess of 1,000 °C. The TK-3 is capable of both midcourse and terminal defense against ballistic missiles. Production of the Tien Kung 3 SAM commenced in 2014 with an initial production run of 12 batteries. With the retirement of the HAWK batteries and the Sky Bow II becoming more obsolete, another twelve batteries of Sky Bow IIIs were ordered to replace these older systems. Conversion of six older batteries to Sky Bow IIIs began in 2022 and is to be completed by 2025. Work on the remaining six batteries began in early 2023 and is to be completed by 2026. Previously, the United States had given Taiwan the options of upgrading the Hawk, buying the
NASAMS NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, also known as Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) is a short- to medium-range ground-based air defense system developed by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) and RTX Corpor ...
system, and/or buying the
THAAD Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), formerly Theater High Altitude Area Defense, is an American anti-ballistic missile defense system designed to intercept and destroy short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles in th ...
missile system to replace their Hawks. The Ministry of National Defense ultimately decided to pursue the development of indigenous weapons to meet the need. In 2019 Taiwanese President
Tsai Ing-wen Tsai Ing-wen (; pinyin: ''Cài Yīngwén''; born 31 August 1956) is a Taiwanese politician and legal scholar who served as the seventh president of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2016 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party ...
ordered the NCSIST to accelerate mass production of the TK-3 in response to increasing Chinese military power and bellicosity. In response to President Tsai’s request NCSIST completed their quota for TK-3 missile production ahead of schedule in 2021. In 2023 the Taiwanese MOD announced plans to build twelve new bases to host TK-3 batteries, six expected to complete before the end of 2025 and six more expected to complete before the end of 2026.


Variants

In late 2016, NCSIST launched a ship-based variant of the Sky Bow III BMD interceptor. According to NCSIST, the test was conducted from a land-based launcher and "was successful and the data was satisfactory". The ship-based version has a folding tail to fit in Mark 41 vertical launch system or Huayang Vertical Launching System and is planned to be deployed on the ROCN's next-generation general-purpose frigates and air defense destroyers as well as possibly retrofitted onto existing vessels.


General characteristics

* Primary Function:
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
* Power Plant: Solid-fuel rocket motor * Launch platform: Towed quad launchers * Length: 5.498 m * Diameter: 0.4 m * Weight: 870 kg * Top Speed: Mach 7.0 * Range: 200 km


Export

The TK-3 has seen interest from foreign buyers but as of November 2019 none were confirmed.


Sky Bow IV


See also

* * Sky Sword I/
Antelope air defence system The Antelope air defense system () is a Taiwanese short range ground-to-air anti-aircraft defense system in operation with the Republic of China Army. Description The Antelope system employs a battery of four Sky Sword I (TC-1) missiles mou ...
/ * * * * * * * * * Defense industry of Taiwan *
Comparison of anti-ballistic missile systems This is a table of the most widespread or notable anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems, intended in whole or part, to counter ballistic missiles. Since many systems have developed in stages or have many iterations or upgrades, only the most notabl ...


References


Notes


External links


Sky Bow I article on GlobalSecurity


* Manufactures' video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKTdlkYbaD

{{National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) aircraft Surface-to-air missiles of the Republic of China Missile defense Anti-ballistic missiles of Taiwan Space program of Taiwan Military equipment introduced in the 1980s 20th-century surface-to-air missiles 21st-century surface-to-air missiles NCSIST missiles