The Chingfeng IV Cruise Missile Is Exactly What Taiwan Needs

Taiwan’s proposed Chingfeng IV low-cost cruise missile exemplifies the country’s adaptive defense innovation amid growing Chinese military pressure. 

In an era of escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the besieged democratic island is bolstering its military capabilities through innovative partnerships. The newly announced Chingfeng IV low-cost cruise missiles, developed in collaboration with US defense firm Kratos, represent a paradigm shift in asymmetric warfare strategies. 

This jet-powered kamikaze drone, based on Kratos’ MQM-178 Firejet target drone, promises to enhance Taiwan’s deterrence against potential Chinese aggression. As cross-strait relations remain fraught, the Chingfeng IV underscores Taiwan’s focus on affordable, mass-producible systems to counter superior numerical forces.

Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has teamed up with Kratos to transform the MQM-178 Firejet—a versatile target drone—into the Chingfeng IV strike platform. Announced in late August, this joint initiative is not yet commissioned by Taiwan’s Armed Forces, but serves as a powerful demonstration project with massive export potential. The missile is slated for its public debut at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in September 2025.

The Chingfeng IV Drone’s Specifications 

The Chingfeng IV boasts impressive specifications that make it a formidable addition to Taiwan’s arsenal. Constructed from lightweight carbon-fiber composites, the weapon features a modular design for easy payload integration.

• Year Introduced: Not yet introduced (prototype phase)
• Number Built: Unknown
• Length: ~10 ft 10 in  (3.3 m)
• Height: ~2 ft (0.6 m)
• Wingspan: ~6 ft 3 in (1.9 m)
• Weight: 130 lb (59 kg) empty; 320 lb (145 kg) with payload
• Engines: Two JetCat C81 turbojets, 81 lbf (0.36 kN) thrust each
• Top Speed: Mach 0.69 (525 mph, 845 km/h)
• Range: ~621 mi (1000 km)
• Service Ceiling: ~35,000 ft (~10,670 m)
• Loadout: 70 lb (32 kg) payload
• Aircrew: 0

This weapon can be launched from the ground or from a ship via pneumatic systems and can be recovered by parachute in non-kamikaze modes. Its low radar signature enhances survivability, too. This adaptability allows roles beyond simple one-way strikes, including electronic warfare and communications relay.

The Chingfeng IV Is More Effective than Taiwan’s Legacy Systems

Taiwan’s existing missile inventory, including the Hsiung Feng series, has long formed the backbone of its defense against a potential Chinese invasion. The Hsiung Feng IIE, a subsonic land-attack cruise missile with a 621-mile range, and the supersonic Hsiung Feng III anti-ship “carrier killer” with 93-155 mile reach, are potent. But both missiles come with drawbacks. 

These legacy systems are expensive to produce, limiting stockpiles and making them vulnerable to attrition in prolonged conflicts. High unit costs—often in the millions of dollars per missile—restrict mass deployment, while their complexity demands extensive maintenance and specialized launch platforms.

In contrast, however, the Chingfeng IV’s low-cost design, derived from a target drone, emphasizes affordability and scalability. Priced significantly lower than traditional cruise missiles, it aligns with global trends in attritable unmanned systems, as seen in Ukraine’s drone warfare. This quantity over quality approach ensures Taiwan can manufacture hundreds or thousands of such systems, overwhelming enemy defenses through saturation attacks. 

What’s more, its modular construction facilitates rapid production and upgrades, reducing dependency on foreign suppliers amid US arms sale delays.

Unlike rigid legacy missiles, the Chingfeng IV’s versatility—switching between kamikaze strikes and reusable missions—offers tactical flexibility. Low observability and high maneuverability make the drone harder to intercept than some older subsonic systems, potentially forcing adversaries to expend costly interceptors on cheap drones. 

Overall, this system addresses Taiwan’s’ resource constraints, providing a cost-effective complement to high-end assets, like the Hsiung Feng IIE and Wan Chien cluster munitions.

How the Chingfeng IV Missile Could Raise Hell for China

In the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, the Chingfeng IV could play a decisive role in Taiwan’s porcupine defense strategy, transforming the Taiwan Strait into a “hellscape” of uncrewed threats. With its extended range, swarms of these cheap Chingfeng IV missiles could target People’s Liberation Army (PLA) amphibious fleets, airfields, and command centers deep inside China, disrupting logistics and delaying reinforcements. Launched from ground units or ships, they would exploit the Strait’s geography, striking invading Chinese forces before they reached Taiwanese shores.

The low-cost nature of this system enables massed launches, saturating PLA air defenses and anti-missile systems, like the HQ-9 or S-400. Each successful Chingfeng IV interception would use up expensive Chinese anti-air weapons, creating economic asymmetry in Taiwan’s favor. 

Integrated with legacy systems, it forms a layered network: the supersonic Hsiung Feng III could be used for high-value naval targets, while Chingfeng IV could handle suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) or electronic jamming. This multi-domain approach, bolstered by US alliances, could buy time for international intervention in the conflict, deterring Beijing through prohibitive invasion costs.

Taiwan’s proposed Chingfeng IV low-cost cruise missile exemplifies the country’s adaptive defense innovation amid growing Chinese military pressure. By partnering with Kratos, Taiwan not only enhances its standoff capabilities but also positions itself in the global unmanned systems market. As geopolitical risks rise, this affordable weapon could tip the balance in asymmetric warfare, underscoring that ingenuity often trumps sheer might. 

For those tracking Taiwan defense strategies against China in invasion scenarios, the Chingfeng IV is the first move that indicates Taipei is getting serious about its defenses. It also signals the new age of resilient, budget-conscious deterrence. The Pentagon should take note.

About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.