Sky Horse Explained

Sky Horse is a ballistic missile developed secretly by Taiwan in the late 1970s, with a considerable number being produced.^[1]

Development

Sky Horse was developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), and was associated with the country's then-secret nuclear weapons program. With a range of 600-950 kilometres,^[2] it would have been capable of striking pre-emptively at ports, airfields or missile bases on the Mainland in an arc from Shanghai to Zhanjiang.^[3] The Sky Horse was to be the primary delivery vehicle for the Taiwanese nuclear weapons. The secondary delivery vehicle was planned to be the then in development AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo.^[4]

Project cancellation

The Sky Horse project was cancelled partly due to pressure from the USA, and partly so that the CSIST could concentrate on the Sky Bow missile.^[5] There were calls to revive the program in response to China's missile threats during 1995 and 1996.^[6] A senior Taiwanese official admitted that Taiwan was 'taken aback by China's moves', and there were fears that these could lead to an arms race.^[7]

General characteristics

• Length: > 20 metres
• Propellant: Solid fuel^[8]
• Range: Estimated 600 – 950km
• Guidance: Inertial
• Launch platform: Land-based
• Payload: ~ 350kg^[9]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lien says Taiwan needs new long-range missile . Taipei Times . 2017-02-11 . 2017-02-17.
2. Book: Thad Cochran. National Missile Defense and Prospects for U.S. - Russia Abm Treaty Accommodation: Hearing Before the Committee on Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate. 1 June 1997. DIANE Publishing. 978-0-7881-8304-1. 141.
3. Web site: 9. CHINESE DEFENSE MODERNIZATION AND THE SECURITY OF TAIWAN. Gary Klintworth. Rand.org. 2017-08-09.
4. Book: ANDREA STRICKER . DAVID ALBRIGHT AND . TAIWAN'S FORMER NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM . 2018 . institute for science and international security . 978-1727337334 . 5 August 2019.
5. Book: Dinshaw Mistry. Containing Missile Proliferation: Strategic Technology, Security Regimes, and International Cooperation in Arms Control. 20 June 2013. University of Washington Press. 978-0-295-80252-7. 97.
6. Book: Martin Edmonds. Michael Tsai. Taiwan's Security and Air Power: Taiwan's Defense Against the Air Threat from Mainland China. 23 November 2004. Routledge. 978-1-134-35053-7. 101.
7. Web site: China's Missile Launches Threaten to Trigger an Arms Race in Asia - Page 2 - latimes . Articles.latimes.com . 1996-03-21 . 2017-02-17.
8. Book: Technologies underlying weapons of mass destruction. DIANE Publishing. 978-1-4289-2110-8. 208.
9. Web site: Design Characteristics of Taiwan's Ballistic Missiles. PDF. Nti.org. 2017-08-09.