Taiwan Disguises Hellfire Missile Launcher as Civilian Truck
Taiwan’s armed forces have developed a launch system for AGM-114 Hellfire missiles concealed inside what otherwise looks to be a civilian truck. Taiwanese authorities say the truck-mounted launcher could provide a valuable new means of employing Hellfires, especially if its AH-1W and AH-64E attack helicopters are faced with heavy air defense threats.
It also offers a mobile strike capability that is more difficult for an opponent to spot, and that could be particularly useful for bolstering shore defenses in the face of a Chinese amphibious operation.
The truck-mounted Hellfire launcher was showcased in a video, seen below, put out by the Military News Agency, an official outlet of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND). The 209th Arsenal, part of the MND’s Armaments Bureau, was responsible for crafting the launch system.
The system consists of a standard twin-rail Hellfire launch rack on a mount inside the main body of the truck. Roll-up doors on either side of the body open to allow the missiles to fire out the right side and the backblast to vent the other way.
In addition, there is a sensor mast that extends through a sliding hatch on the roof of the truck’s body. Mounted on top is what looks to be a small radar, as well as a ball-type sensor turret, which are typically equipped with a mix of electro-optical and infrared cameras. The turret may also contain a laser designator.
Typical laser-guided Hellfires are seen at one point in the Military News Agency video, but millimeter-wave radar-guided AGM-114L Longbow variants are seen actually being test-fired. The system could be able to employ Hellfires from Taiwan’s stocks with either type of guidance.
“The vehicle-mounted missile system is designed for asymmetric warfare,” a member of the 209th Arsenal, identified only as Colonel Su, says in the video, according to a machine translation. “In wartime, we may face enemy air threats in anti-armor missions. We’ve integrated the air-based Hellfire missile into a land-based Hellfire system.”
Source: The War Zone
