Munitions

Wan Chien air-launched cruise missile

Also known as
  • Wan Chien
  • Ten Thousand Swords
  • Wan-Chien
  • WJ missile
  • Wan Chien-I
  • Wan Chien-II

Wan Chien is a Taiwanese air-launched subsonic cruise missile built for the Republic of China Air Force's F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fleet. Official and specialist sources describe it as an NCSIST-developed standoff weapon for airfield and fixed-target attack, with public reporting since 2018 documenting operational status, live-fire testing, Penghu display, and continuing production rather than combat employment.

Wan Chien air-launched cruise missile, Air-launched subsonic cruise missile, Munitions
Image source: IDF-Wan Chien.jpg
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Class
Subsonic cruise missile
Basing
Air-launched
Length
3.5 m
Diameter
0.63 m
Wingspan after launch
1.5 m pop-out wing span
Launch weight
650 kg
Payload
Approximately 350 kg high-explosive, semi-armor-piercing, or submunitions payload
Propulsion
Turbojet
Range
240 km
Guidance
INS/GPS, with possible terminal seeker
Launch platform
AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo / Indigenous Defense Fighter
Reported production capacity
50 missiles per year in Taiwan press reporting from 2022-2024
Variants

Public sources usually describe Wan Chien as one missile family; Taiwan News reporting in 2024 says the baseline missile is classified as Wan Chien-I and that NCSIST has developed and tested an extended-range Wan Chien-II.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Wan Chien-IBaseline air-launched cruise missile

Taiwan News reported that the Air Force and NCSIST classify the mass-produced baseline missile as Wan Chien-I, with the baseline range reported around 200-240 km depending on source.

Sources: Mass production of Taiwan's Wan Chien cruise missiles nears completion, Wan Chien | Missile Threat

Wan Chien-IIReported extended-range version

Taiwan News and Taipei Times reporting describe an improved or extended-range version associated with a possible 400 km reach; the record treats this as reported rather than officially confirmed specification data.

Sources: Mass production of Taiwan's Wan Chien cruise missiles nears completion, Taiwan Air Force orders extra Wan Chien missiles, Cruise missile project on track: source

Carrier Aircraft

Public sources identify the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo as the missile's carrier aircraft and the ROCAF's official IDF page describes Wan Chien as an airstrip-strike weapon, but the available public record does not tie the missile to a named armed conflict.

CarrierCarrier typeCarriage evidence
AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, Lightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuoMultirole fighter

The ROCAF armaments page says the IDF can strike enemy airstrips with the Wan Chien cruise missile, while CSIS identifies the Wan Chien as carried by Taiwan's F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter.

Sources: IDF - Fighters - AIR FORCE COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, MND, Wan Chien | Missile Threat

Operational Context

Public reporting frames Wan Chien as a standoff strike weapon for Taiwan's IDF force rather than as a combat-used munition. The strongest documented activity is operational testing, public display, and procurement tied to Taiwan's deterrence posture.

Target set

Official and specialist sources describe airstrip, air-base, port, missile-site, radar-position, and troop-concentration attack roles.

Carrier force

The missile is associated with upgraded F-CK-1 Ching-kuo aircraft, including C/D aircraft displayed with the weapon at Penghu.

Public status

The missile has reported operational status, live-fire testing, and continuing production, but no source-backed named armed-conflict use.

Catalog Scope

This record is relationship-only because current public sources support missile identity, specifications, manufacturer context, F-CK-1 carriage, test activity, display, and production, but not direct use of the Wan Chien in a named armed conflict.

Timeline

Wan Chien air-launched cruise missile Key Events

  1. In-service period begins

    CSIS lists the Wan Chien as in service from 2011 to the present.

    Sources: Wan Chien | Missile Threat

  2. Hsiang Sheng public debut

    NCSIST records the Wan-Chien airfield joint-strike missile system debuting in the Hsiang Sheng project in 2014.

    Sources: NCSIST History

  3. Operational status reported

    CSIS notes that the Wan Chien was declared fully operational in 2018.

    Sources: Wan Chien | Missile Threat, Cruise missile now operational: defense source

  4. Penghu air-base display

    TWZ reported that President Tsai Ing-wen was shown Wan Chien missiles at Makung Air Force Base on Penghu, where F-CK-1C/D aircraft deploy rotationally.

    Sources: Taiwan Displays Air-Launched Cruise Missiles At Air Base In Heart Of Taiwan Strait

  5. Special procurement authority enacted

    Taiwan's Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan Purchase Special Regulation listed the Wan-Chien Air-to-Ground Missile System among covered procurement items through the end of 2026.

    Sources: Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan Purchase Special Regulation

  6. Exercise firing reported

    Taiwan News reported that an Indigenous Defense Fighter fired a Wan Chien during an exercise, with NCSIST production capacity described as 50 missiles per year.

    Sources: Taiwan IDF jet test fires Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missile

  7. Additional procurement budget reported

    Taiwan News reported a five-year air-force budget item for additional Wan Chien missiles from 2024 to 2028, with reporting that an improved version could extend range.

    Sources: Taiwan Air Force orders extra Wan Chien missiles

  8. Production plan reported on track

    Taipei Times reported that a three-year plan aimed to produce 150 Wan Chien missiles by the end of 2024 and that F-CK-1 wings had tested the missile in live-fire drills.

    Sources: Cruise missile project on track: source

  9. Wan Chien-I and Wan Chien-II reporting

    Taiwan News reported that the baseline missile is classified as Wan Chien-I and that NCSIST had developed and tested an extended-range Wan Chien-II.

    Sources: Mass production of Taiwan's Wan Chien cruise missiles nears completion

Media

Wan Chien air-launched cruise missile Videos

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AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, Lightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighter, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuoLightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighterThe AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, or Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), is Taiwan's lightweight supersonic twin-engine multirole fighter for the Republic of China Air Force. ROCAF material places it in service from 1992 and identifies interception, long-range strike, and close-air-support tasks, while AIDC and defense reporting document the Hsiang Sheng upgrade path that added improved avionics, electronic warfare changes, and Wan Chien standoff-missile carriage.
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Sources

Wan Chien | Missile ThreatPublisher: Center for Strategic and International Studies | Note: Supports Wan Chien identity, Taiwanese origin, operational status, dimensions, payload, range, guidance, and F-CK-1 carriage context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04NCSIST HistoryPublisher: National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology | Note: Supports NCSIST background and the 2014 Wan-Chien airfield joint-strike missile system debut in the Hsiang Sheng project. | Accessed: 2026-07-04IDF - Fighters - AIR FORCE COMMAND HEADQUARTERS, MNDPublisher: Republic of China Air Force | Note: Supports the F-CK-1 mission profile, Wan Chien airstrip-strike role, and WJ missile armament listing. | Accessed: 2026-07-04IDF-Wan Chien.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and CC BY 3.0 licensing for the F-CK-1 carrying Wan Chien image. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Cruise missile now operational: defense sourcePublisher: Taipei Times | Note: Supports reported full operational status, live-fire testing against sea targets, GPS/INS guidance, effective range above 200 km, and Hsiang Sheng IDF carriage context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Taiwan Displays Air-Launched Cruise Missiles At Air Base In Heart Of Taiwan StraitPublisher: The War Zone | Note: Supports the 2020 Makung Air Force Base display and F-CK-1C/D carriage and deployment context on Penghu. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan Purchase Special RegulationPublisher: Ministry of National Defense, Republic of China | Note: Supports the Wan-Chien Air-to-Ground Missile System as a named item in Taiwan's 2021-2026 Sea-Air Combat Power Improvement Plan procurement authority. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Taiwan IDF jet test fires Wan Chien air-to-ground cruise missilePublisher: Taiwan News | Note: Supports reported 2022 IDF exercise firing, NCSIST production capacity, mass-production context, and reported research on a longer-range version. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Taiwan Air Force orders extra Wan Chien missilesPublisher: Taiwan News | Note: Supports reported 2023 air-force budget for additional Wan Chien missiles, 2024-2028 procurement timing, annual production capacity, and possible improved-range version. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Cruise missile project on track: sourcePublisher: Taipei Times | Note: Supports the reported three-year 150-missile production plan, annual production capacity, claimed range, payload role, and live-fire drill satisfaction by IDF wings. | Accessed: 2026-07-04Mass production of Taiwan's Wan Chien cruise missiles nears completionPublisher: Taiwan News | Note: Supports reported 2022-2024 mass-production completion, Wan Chien-I classification, Wan Chien-II extended-range development/testing claim, and continuing variant-development context. | Accessed: 2026-07-04