Taiwan’s secret HF-2E missile appears in photos for the first time
It can strike deep into China at a range of up to 1500 km
Taiwan is demonstrating by its own example how to create a long-range cruise missile and keep it secret for more than a decade. It’s called HF-2E and it’s the first time it’s been in a camera lens.
The real historical event took place during military exercises. Taiwanese media claim that the photo shows an HF-2E. The cruise missile is a modernization of the HF-2.
The information about the launch was confirmed by Su Tzu-yun, a researcher at the National Defense and Security Studies Institute of Taiwan. Central News Agency also reported on the launch of a secret cruise missile, citing a source in the country’s armed forces.
Oh my God, we’ve got the first ever image of the HF-2E land attack cruise missile, taken during a secret firing last night.
The missile was briefly illuminated by the still burning solid booster, which was being discarded. pic.twitter.com/LZVMpEUHxU
– Taepodong (@stoa1984) August 16, 2023
While the HF-2 has a launch range of up to 600 km, the HF-2E is capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 1500 km. This gives the island nation’s armed forces the ability to strike deep into China in the event of a military conflict.
The HF-2E received an inertial guidance system with GPS. The cruise missile also has the TERCOM function, which allows for terrain scanning. In terms of appearance, it resembles the American Tomahawk and AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER missiles.
Taiwan began developing the HF-2E at the beginning of the 21st century. Mass production was launched later in 2011. The cruise missile has been in service with the Taiwanese army for more than a decade, but only last year did the island nation officially confirm its existence.
