Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile
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Overview
The Hsiung Feng II ("Brave Wind II") is Taiwan's indigenous subsonic anti-ship cruise missile — the workhorse anti-ship weapon of the Republic of China Navy and a core element of the island's sea-denial strategy against a Chinese amphibious invasion. Developed by NCSIST and in service since the 1990s, it arms Taiwan's frigates, missile boats and coastal-defence batteries. A sea-skimming, turbojet-powered missile in the class of the U.S. Harpoon, the Hsiung Feng II flies low over the water to a range of roughly 150–250 km and uses a combination of active radar and imaging-infrared seekers to find and strike ships even in cluttered, jamming-rich coastal waters. A land-attack derivative, the Hsiung Feng IIE, extends Taiwan's reach against targets on the Chinese mainland with a range reported in the hundreds of kilometres. For an analyst, the Hsiung Feng II embodies Taiwan's "porcupine" strategy: large numbers of mobile, concealable anti-ship missiles designed to make a cross-strait invasion fleet pay a prohibitive price. Cheaper and more numerous than its supersonic sibling the Hsiung Feng III, it provides the volume of fire — from ships and from hidden coastal launchers — that would help contest the narrow, crowded waters of the Taiwan Strait in the opening phase of any conflict.
Deployment Map
Home ports from known hull assignments. Operating areas reflect typical AORs — individual deployments will vary.
Timeline
Specifications
Doctrine & Employment
Role
Indigenous subsonic anti-ship cruise missile — the workhorse of Taiwan's sea denial.
Design Philosophy
Numerous, affordable, mobile anti-ship fires — the 'porcupine' approach.
Employment
Sea-skimming attack from ships, missile boats and concealed coastal batteries against an invasion fleet.
Threat Context
Volume fire to make a cross-strait amphibious assault prohibitively costly.
How to Compare
Read with the supersonic HF-3 and against the Harpoon and China's YJ-18.
Operational Patterns
Typical Deployment
Anti-ship sea denial from frigates, missile boats and concealed coastal batteries in the Taiwan Strait.
Typical Task Group
ROC Navy combatants and coastal-defence missile groups.
Readiness
Widely fielded; production increasing.
Key Operating Areas
Peer Comparison Matrix
The HF-3 is the faster supersonic 'carrier killer'; the HF-2 provides cheaper, more numerous subsonic volume.
Video angle: Taiwan's anti-ship one-two punch.
Comparable subsonic anti-ship missile; Taiwan operates both Harpoon and the indigenous HF-2.
Video angle: Taiwan's anti-ship missiles.
The threat fleet's anti-ship missile; the HF-2 is what would strike that fleet.
Video angle: The missile duel in the strait.
Combat History
No combat use; backbone anti-ship missile of the ROC Navy and coastal defence.
Core of Taiwan's sea-denial 'porcupine' strategy.
Known Vulnerabilities
Subsonic speed
Slower than supersonic missiles, giving defences more reaction time.
Context: Modern fleet air defence can engage it.
Mitigation: Sea-skimming, dual seekers, saturation.
Targeting under attack
Coastal targeting infrastructure is itself a target.
Context: PLA strikes would target sensors.
Mitigation: Mobile, dispersed, networked launchers.
Variants
| Variant | Designation | Years | Count | Status | Key Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hsiung Feng II | — | 1993– | — | active | Subsonic anti-ship cruise missile |
| Hsiung Feng IIE | — | 2010s | — | active | Land-attack cruise-missile derivative (extended range) |
Modernization Programmes
Production surge & coastal dispersal
Increased production and mobile coastal deployment.
Impact: Multiplies the anti-ship fires available to contest an invasion.
Images
Frequently Asked
When was the first Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile commissioned?
The first Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile entered service in 1993.
Who builds the Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile?
The Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile is built by National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST).
What variants of the Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile exist?
Known variants include: Hsiung Feng II, Hsiung Feng IIE.
Curated Research
recommended
Porcupine strategy context
reference
Specs and variants
Watch Hsiung Feng II anti-ship missile in Action
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