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The Sky Sword I, Tien Chien I, or TC-1 (Chinese: 天劍一; pinyin: Tiān Jiàn Yī; Wade–Giles: Tʻien Chien I) is a short range infrared guided air-to-air missile. The missile has fire and forget slave-by-radar capabilities. It consists of an imaging infrared seeker, a high explosive warhead, a solid propellant motor and a guidance control unit. The seeker uses dual spectral IR and has a detection range of 18.5km. The Sky Sword 1 is also used as a surface-to-air missile by the Antelope air defence system.

Development

The Sky Sword 1 was developed in the mid-1980s and revealed in May 1986, as Taiwan's first indigenous air-to-air missile. The production of the missile started in 1991 and the air-to-air version entered ROCAF service in 1993. It bears a striking similarity to the American AIM-9 (also in Taiwanese service) and fulfills a similar role on the Indigenous Defense Fighter to the AIM-9 on the F-16. In 2017 NCSIST exhibited a variant of the TC-1 with a larger diameter motor.

Service history

TC-1 missiles were employed during a 2019 training exercise off Taiwan’s east coast.

Variants

TC-1L

The TC-1L is a ground-launched variant for use with the Antelope air defence system.

Sea TC-1

Developed for use with the Sea Oryx system, the Sea TC-1 variant has an improved seeker, data-link, and rocket motor.

See also

• Republic of China Air Force
• Sky Bow
• Sky Sword II

Similar weapons

• AIM-9 Sidewinder – (United States)
• RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile – (United States)
• AAM-3 – (Japan)
• AAM-5 – (Japan)
• R.550 Magic – (France)
• MICA – (France)
• MAA-1 Piranha – (Brazil)
• A-Darter – (South Africa)
• Fatter – (Iran)
• R-73 – (Soviet Union)
• PL-9 – (China)
• Python – (Israel)

References

1. "NCSIST". www.ncsist.org.tw. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
2. "IR Seeker (Sky Sword I)". cmano-db.com. CMANO. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
3. "The Antelope – Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance".
4. "Antelope Tien Chien 1 TC-1 surface-to-air defense missile system technical data sheet specifications | Taiwan Taiwanese missile vehicle system UK | Taiwan Taiwanese army military equipment vehicle U".
5. Jane's Weapon Systems. F. Watts. 1987.
6. Cheng Jiawen, Hong Zhe Zhengyi. "國造海劍羚艦對空飛彈 預計111年服役". udn.com. UDN. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
7. Evelyn Kao, Matt Yu and. "Taiwan holds live-fire drill along east coast". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
8. "Antelope Air Defense System". www.ncsist.org.tw. National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
9. Minnick, Wendell (12 August 2015). "Taiwan Defense Show Exhibits New Weapons". www.defensenews.com. Defense News. Retrieved 1 April 2019.

External links

• TC-2 info on Global Security
• TC-2N test video:

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