Taiwan plans to acquire MSE variant of PAC-3 air-defence missile

Taiwan plans to acquire an undisclosed number of Lockheed Martin Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptor missiles from the United States to enhance its air-defence capabilities amid escalating tensions with China over the status of the island.

The state-owned Central News Agency (CNA) quoted the Ministry of National Defense (MND) in Taipei as saying in a 31 March report that the interceptors are expected to be delivered between 2025 and 2026 and deployed by the end of 2026.

No information was provided about the budget earmarked for this procurement.

Compared to the PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) variant currently operated by the Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) the PAC-3 MSE features a two-pulse solid rocket motor that provides “increased performance in both altitude and range” while employing the same proven hit-to-kill technology as the PAC-3 CRI missile, according to Lockheed Martin.

Moreover, the two-pulse solid rocket motor and enhanced airframe give the interceptor “more manoeuvrability against faster and more sophisticated tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles”, it added.

The release of the MND report comes after US Department of State approved a request from Taiwan in July 2020 for the recertification of the island’s PAC-3 air-defence missiles for an estimated USD620 million.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced at the time that the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) – Taiwan’s principal representative office in the country – had requested the recertification of the interceptor missiles under the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.