View source for Sky Spear

{{Short description|Taiwanese short-range ballistic missile}}
{{infobox weapon
| name                 = Sky Spear
| image                = 
| caption              = 
| type                 = [[Short-range ballistic missile]]
<!-- Type selection -->
| is_vehicle           = yes
| service              = 2001-current    
| wars                 = 
<!-- Production history -->
| origin               = [[Taiwan]]
| designer             = [[National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology]]
| number               = Unknown
| spec_label           = 
| length               = 8.0 m
| width                = 0.41 m
| height               = 
| diameter             = 
| passengers           =
<!-- Explosive specifications -->
| is_ranged            = 
| is_bladed            = 
| is_explosive         = yes
| is_artillery         = 
| is_missile           = yes
| is_UK                = 
<!-- Service history -->
| used_by              = 
| design_date          = 
| manufacturer         = 
| unit_cost            = 
| production_date      = 
| variants             =
<!-- General specifications -->
| weight               = 1,150 kg
| part_length          = 
| crew                 = 
| filling              = 
| filling_weight       = 
| detonation           = 
| yield                = 
<!-- Vehicle/missile specifications -->
| armour               = 
| primary_armament     = 
| secondary_armament   = 
| engine               = 
| engine_power         = 
| pw_ratio             = 
| transmission         = 
| payload_capacity     = 500 kg 
| suspension           = 
| clearance            = 
| fuel_capacity        = 
| vehicle_range        = {{convert|300|km|mi}}
| speed                = 
| guidance             = 
| steering             = 
<!-- Missiles only -->
| wingspan             = 
| propellant           = Two-stage solid propellant 
| ceiling              = 
| altitude             = 
| depth                = 
| boost                = 
| accuracy             = 
| launch_platform      = [[Transporter erector launcher]] or silo
| transport            = Truck 
}}

The '''Sky Spear''' (天戟 ''Tien Chi'') is a Taiwanese [[short-range ballistic missile]] (SRBM).<ref name="taipeitimes">Minnick, Wendell: [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2001/07/13/93969 A better indigenous missile defense], ''[[Taipei Times]]'', July 13, 2001.</ref> Derived from the [[Sky Bow II]] ([[Tien Kung-2]]) [[surface-to-air missile]], the Tien Chi has a two-stage booster that extends over the single-stage [[Tien Kung-2]]. The Sky Spear was developed by the [[Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology]] (CSIST) in Taiwan. As of early 2001, up to 50 Tien Chi missiles were deployed at two sites: [[Dongyin, Lienchiang|Tungyin Island]], and an unidentified second location. The Tungyin Island missiles are said to be housed in silos and protected by batteries of [[Tien Kung-2]] SAMs.

== Description ==
Information provided by CSIST to Jane's Missiles and Rockets, revealed that Tien Chi uses a submunition warhead and there is no unitary warhead for this missile. According to this report, Tien Chi was developed by CSIST following test firings of a Tien Kung 2 variant with a 120&nbsp;km range and a 90&nbsp;kg HE warhead. The report also credited Tien Chi missile with a range of 300&nbsp;km and a 500&nbsp;kg payload. This range is well beyond the reported 200&nbsp;km maximum range of the Tien Kung II SAM system, but since Tien Chi is used in a tactical surface-to-surface missile role, it would fly a more efficient trajectory with no need for energy-consuming manoeuvres. Guidance is believed to be an integrated INS/GPS system.<ref>Richardson, Doug "Taiwan switches from Tien Kung I to Tien Kung II," Jane's Missiles and Rockets, August, 2006.</ref>

== History ==
It has been reported that Taiwan has deployed 15-50 missiles on [[Tungyin]] and [[Penghu]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tien Chi |url=https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/tien-chi/ |website=missilethreat.csis.org |publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies |accessdate=19 January 2020}}</ref>

== Variants ==
According to the [[Taipei Times]] retired president of NCSIST Kung Chia-cheng claimed that two variants were developed, one with a range of 600km and the other with a 1000km+ range. Taiwanese President [[Chen Shui-bian]] was reportedly very surprised by how large the missiles were when he went to inspect them.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Tien-pin |first1=Lo |last2=Hetherington |first2=William |title=New missiles can travel 2,000km: source |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/11/13/2003809084 |website=taipeitimes.com |date=13 November 2023 |publisher=Taipei Times |access-date=16 November 2023}}</ref>

==General characteristics==
* Primary Function: [[Surface-to-surface missile]]
* Warhead Weight 100&nbsp;kg<ref name="Global Security">{{Cite web|url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/taiwan/sky-spear.htm|title=Tien Chi / Sky Spear|website=www.globalsecurity.org}}</ref>

== See also ==
* {{lwc|Hrim-2 (missile system)}}
* {{lwc|9K720 Iskander}}
* {{lwc|DF-11}}
* {{lwc|Persian Gulf (missile)|Khalij Fars}}
* {{lwc|Ghaznavi (missile)|Ghaznavi}}
* {{lwc|Abdali-I}}
* {{lwc|Shaheen-I}}
* {{lwc|J-600T Yıldırım}}
* {{lwc|Fateh-313}}
* {{lwc|Qiam 1}}
* {{lwc|B-611}}
* {{lwc|Al Hussein (missile)}}
* {{lwc|Burkan-1}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Military of the Republic of China}}
{{National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) aircraft}}

[[Category:Short-range ballistic missiles]]
[[Category:Ballistic missiles of Taiwan]]
[[Category:Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2001]]
[[Category:NCSIST missiles]]