Article Posted on : - Jun 28, 2011

A file photo

TAIPEI (BNS): A new supersonic anti-ship cruise missile of Taiwan has failed to hit its designated target during a recent naval drill, media reports said Thursday.

The Hsiung Feng III missile, which Taiwan claims to have developed at home, missed its target during a routine naval drill, the country’s defence ministry said Thursday as reported by news agencies.

The weapon had failed in its objective due to a computer glitch, the ministry cited.

Taiwan began deploying the new supersonic missile system on its warships last year in response to China's rapid naval expansion.

According to experts, the Hsiung Feng III missile has been designed to cruise at a maximum speed of mach 2.0 (twice the speed of sound) and has a range of up to 130 kilometres.

The country had staged a major missile drill in January this year, which, however, flopped badly with five out of 19 missiles failing to hit their targets.

The missile maneouver was held just days after rival China unveiled a new-generation stealth aircraft, J-20.

Taiwan and China have been wrangling over Chinese claim that the self-governed island nation is part of its territory.