Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense has decided to share a video showing the Chien Hsiang kamikaze drone destroying a target. Dam ammunition was first shown in 2017.

what is known

Taiwan officials stress the high value of drone systems. The war in Ukraine is a great confirmation of this. Inexpensive kamikaze drones could provide the island nation with the ability to shoot down Chinese troops in the event of a military conflict.

The posted video includes a chapter dedicated to Chien Hsiang (starts at 5:02). The clip shows how a Taiwanese barrage munition hits a decoy target. The Military News Agency, which broadcasts Chien Hsiang’s images, is the official media outlet of the Taiwan Ministry of Defense.

The Kamikaze drone was introduced to the public six years ago. It has a triangular wing and a single propulsion unit driving a rear thruster. Outwardly, Chien Hsiang resembles the Iranian Shahed-136 drone, which Russia fired at Ukraine. The battle barrage was designed to destroy the radar stations of the enemy. Chien Hsiang can stay in the air for 5 hours and has a maximum launch range of 1,000 km, making it an effective tool for suppressing enemy air defense systems.

The published video contains first-person footage. However, it is currently unclear whether the military plans to equip such a drone configuration with a camera in real combat conditions. Maybe it’s only loaded on a test sample. With all this, Chien Hsiang exists in a modification with an integrated camera. This will allow the Taiwanese military to use kamikaze drones not only for attacks, but also for reconnaissance.

A 12-cell launcher is provided for the Chien Hsiang launch, which can be mounted on a trailer. Such a solution is designed to provide additional flexibility and the ability to act on a “hit and run” principle. Earlier, there was information that the Taiwanese army has fixed launchers. Source