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BAir defence
series of surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defense systems
At a glance
Measured figures
R440
Single sourceVT-1
Single sourceConfiguration
| Specification | Crotale (missile) | Sky Bow |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Surface-to-air missile system[source] | series of surface-to-air anti-ballistic missile and anti-aircraft defense systems[source] |
| Place of origin | France[source] | — |
| Used by | See Operators[source] | Military of the Republic of China[source] |
| Wars | Chadian-Libyan conflict South African Border War Russian invasion of Ukraine[source] | — |
| Designed | Late 1960s[source] |
R440: 2.89 m VT-1: 2.35 m[source]
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Length
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Length
Single source5.673 m[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
5.498 m[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Diameter
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Diameter
Single sourceSky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Mass
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Mass
Single sourceSky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Range
Single sourceSky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited · Range
Single sourceBars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.
| — |
| Manufacturer | Thales Group Samsung Group[source] | National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST)[source] |
|---|
| Produced | Early 1970s[source] | — |
|---|
| No. built | 6,600 missiles (R440)[source] | — |
|---|
| Warhead | forward-directed blast warhead (R.440 and R.460) or blast-fragmentation warhead (VT-1)[source] | — |
|---|
| Detonation mechanism | infrared fuse, converted to RF fuse in later models.[source] | — |
|---|
| Engine | Lens 3 solid-fuel boost-glide (R.440)[source] | — |
|---|
| Flight ceiling | VT-1: 6,000 m Mk3: 9,000 m[source] | — |
|---|
| Guidance system | Automatic command to line of sight[source] | — |
|---|
| Steering system | Canard and tail axis control[source] | — |
|---|
| Launch platform | Mobile Launcher, Naval Launch[source] | Underground silos and mobile launch vehicles[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited Towed quad launchers[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| In service | — | The TK-2, TK-3 and TK-4 are in service with the Military of the Republic of China[source] |
|---|
| Role | — | surface-to-air missile[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited surface-to-air missile[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| Propulsion | — | Single-stage dual-thrust solid-fuel rocket motor[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited Solid-fuel rocket motor[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| Guidance | — | Inertial with mid-course guidance update from ground-based phased array radar, Active radar homing ( ARH ) for terminal guidance[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| Introduced | — | 1997[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited |
|---|
| Country of origin | — | Taiwan[source]Inventory Origin column; table 5, row 4, cell 2; revision 1370505017; retrieved 2026-09-30 |
|---|
0.42 m[source]Sky Bow II only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited
0.4 m[source]Sky Bow III only; retired Sky Bow I values not inherited