Sky Bow

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 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. 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 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 constructed to support the development of the TK-1 including Taiwan's first hypersonic wind tunnel. 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. Its designation it was given, Zhongzheng 100/Sky Bow 1, referred to its 100km range. 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. Seven batteries were in service in 2006. 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 missile, the original missile design resembled a scaled-up Raytheon AIM-54 Phoenix. The TK-1 missile was subsequently redesigned and eventually became very similar in appearance to the US Patriot missile after the US government allowed Raytheon to transfer 85 percent of the MIM-104 Patriot missile technology. 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 High-Power Illuminator (HPI) radar but is estimated to be 60 percent more powerful in output with improved EW, ECM, and IFF 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 air defence system, allowing the TK-1 surface-to-air missile system multiple target engagement capability. General characteristics • Primary Function: surface-to-air missile • 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) for terminal guidance • Date Deployed: 1986 ==Sky Bow II==

The Sky Bow II (TK-2) (, 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, 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 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. • Diameter: 0.42 m • Warhead: 90 kg The sounding rocket test vehicle launched on December 24, 2003, measures 7.7m in overall length and 1,680 kg in launch weight. It reached a maximum altitude of almost 270 km and splashed 142 km down range around 8 minutes after launch into the Pacific. 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) (, Tien Kung III) is the third generation of the missile system. Taiwan had initially sought and even proposed a joint development effort to co-produce 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 (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. 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, 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). 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 system, and/or buying the THAAD 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 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 • Power Plant: Solid-fuel rocket motor • Launch platform: Towed quad launchers • Length: 5.498 m • Range: 200 km Export The TK-3 has seen interest from foreign buyers but as of November 2019 none were confirmed. Gallery File:Tien Kung Ⅲ Missile Model Display at MND Hall 20150815a.jpg |Tien Kung III Missile Model Display at MND Hall File:Tien Kung Ⅲ Missile Launcher Trailer Display at Military Academy Ground 20140531.jpg|Tien Kung III Missile Launcher Trailer Display at Military Academy Ground File:TK-3 radar.jpg|Tien Kung III radar File:TK-3 decoy.jpg|TK-3 support unit File:TK-3 CRG.jpg|TK-3 support unit ==Sky Bow IV==