Taiwan shows rare footage of Chien Hsiang kamikaze drone in action
Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense decided to share a video showing a Chien Hsiang kamikaze drone destroying a target. The barrage munition was first demonstrated in 2017.
Taiwanese authorities emphasize the high value of unmanned aircraft systems. The war in Ukraine is a perfect example of this. Inexpensive kamikaze drones can provide the island nation with the ability to strike at Chinese troops in the event of a military conflict.
The published video contains a fragment dedicated to Chien Hsiang (starting at 05:02). The video demonstrates how a Taiwanese barrage munition strikes a conditional target. The Military News Agency, which showed the footage from Chien Hsiang, is the official media outlet of the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense.
The kamikaze drone was introduced to the public six years ago. It has a triangular wing and a single propulsion system that drives a pusher screw located at the rear. The Chien Hsiang looks like an Iranian Shahed-136 drone, which Russia has been using to fire on Ukraine.
The barrage munition is designed to destroy enemy radar stations. The Chien Hsiang can stay in the air for 5 hours and has a maximum launch range of 1000 km, making it an effective means of suppressing enemy air defense systems.
The published video contains first-person footage. However, it is unclear whether the military plans to equip such a drone configuration with a camera in real combat conditions. Perhaps it was installed only on a test sample.
However, the Chien Hsiang is available in a version with an integrated camera. This will allow the Taiwanese military to use the kamikaze drone not only for strikes but also for reconnaissance purposes.
To launch the Chien Hsiang, a 12-cell launcher is provided, which can be mounted on a trailer. This solution is designed to provide additional flexibility and the ability to operate on a shoot-and-scoot basis. Earlier, there was information that the Taiwanese army also has stationary launchers in service.
