Taiwan will achieve the world's highest concentration of anti-ship missiles by 2028, according to defense officials in Taipei, as the island completes a critical phase of its asymmetric defense buildup against potential Chinese military action.
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology will complete mass production of 1,000 indigenous missiles by December 2026, combining the subsonic Hsiung Feng II and supersonic Hsiung Feng III variants. When combined with 400 Harpoon missiles expected from the United States by 2028, Taiwan will possess approximately 1,400 anti-ship missiles—the highest density globally, defense officials told Taipei Times.
The institute manufactures 131 Hsiung Feng II variants and 70 Hsiung Feng III variants annually. Following production completion, engineers will focus on upgrading existing systems, improving precision and resistance to electronic jamming through enhanced guidance electronics.
This arsenal forms the backbone of Taiwan's "porcupine strategy"—a defensive doctrine emphasizing coastal anti-access capabilities rather than costly attempts to match China's naval expansion. The military requires 232 anti-ship missile systems overall. The US-supplied Harpoon systems will complement indigenous missiles in a "high-low" mixed capability approach, providing both cost-effective saturation firepower and advanced targeting systems.
Taiwan's navy will establish a littoral combatant command in July to consolidate coastal defense anti-ship missile units. This reorganization aims to enhance "multilayered saturation strikes" capacity against Chinese naval forces and distribute mobile missile batteries across Taiwan's coastline as deterrence.
The deployment represents a significant shift in Taiwan's defense calculus. Rather than attempting to match the People's Liberation Army Navy ship-for-ship, Taiwan is betting on mobile, land-based missile systems that can threaten any amphibious operation across the Taiwan Strait. Each missile travels at speeds exceeding Mach 2, making them difficult to intercept even with advanced naval defense systems.
