Taiwan progresses air-launched version of HF-III anti-ship missile

Taiwan's air-launched version of its baseline Hsiung Feng III (HF-III or HF-3) surface-launched variant is lighter and shorter, allowing it to be mounted in the underwing hardpoints of aircraft. (Janes)

Taiwan is making progress on the development of an air-launched version of its Hsiung Feng III (HF-III or HF-3) medium-range supersonic anti-ship missile.

In February 2025 a photograph emerged on Taiwanese social media showing an Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) F-CK-1 Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) armed with the air-launched variant of the missile. According to the state-owned Central News Agency (CNA), the F-CK-1 conducted an exercise with the new missile. However, it is unclear if the missile was used in a live-fire test.

Under development by Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), the air-launched missile is an offshoot of the HF-III surface-launched missile. The HF-III surface-launched missile is similar to ramjet-powered weapons such as the Russian Kh-31 (YJ-91) anti-ship weapon.

However, Janes assesses that the air-launched HF-III missile is smaller than the surface-launched missile, allowing it to be mounted in underwing hardpoints. Other key design changes include the omission of the two extra rocket boosters found on the surface-launched variant. This makes the air-launched missile lighter and shorter.

With four tailfins, the tail assembly of the air-launched version is also visually different. In the reference image, the missile body also contained a number, which appears to be XX-062. It also has a positioning symbol associated with testing.

The air-launched missile is powered by a solid-propellent booster motor, housed within the ramjet expansion duct, and a liquid-fuelled ramjet sustainer motor. According to Janes