Taiwan has publicly published images of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile system installed on a civil delivery truck, signaling the country’s investment in mobile platforms, discreet and quickly deployable to counter a possible amphibious attack in China.
The video broadcast by the Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan shows a apparently ordinary commercial van equipped with a hidden launcher and a mast of retractable aim which folds up on the roof of the vehicle, making it almost indistinguishable in civil traffic.
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Although the Taipei authorities have not revealed how many of these units are in service or if they are part of a larger secret program, local military analysts indicate that the system is ideal for operating on coastal roads and urban areas, moving discreetly until launch.
The launcher can be quickly deployed to start landing ships, amphibious vehicles and other surface threats, thanks to integrated electro-optical and infrared sensors allowing the detection and acquisition of targets independently, without external data. Once the attack is finished, the system retracts the launcher and returns to its camouflage, complicating detection by the enemy.
This initiative is part of Taiwan’s defense strategy, which favors mobile systems, survivable and low signature to face higher forces, by taking advantage of mountainous topography and urban density of the island.
Experts compare this platform to improvised solutions observed during recent conflicts, as in Ukraine, where Brimstone missiles have been launched from non -armored trucks against Russian forces. This type of adaptation offers high cost fire power and reduces vulnerability to preventive strikes.
Source and images: Ministry of National Defense of Taiwan (ROC). This content was created with the help of the AI and revised by the editorial team.
