Taiwan coastguard’s rare missile firing reveals deepening links with navy

Further integrating the agency with the military would multiply threats to the PLA Navy in a conflict, analysts say

Taiwan’s coastguard fired a supersonic anti-ship missile during a military exercise last week, an unusual move by a civilian law enforcement agency that analysts say could be aimed at complicating potential war plans.

On Friday, the Anping-class coastguard patrol vessel Qijin launched a home-grown Hsiung Feng III, or HF-3, which hit a decommissioned navy frigate more than 100km (62 miles) away, according to local media. The coastguard also fired an HF-2, an older subsonic anti-ship weapon, during the drills, which involved Taiwan’s army, navy and air force.

This means at least three named vessels of the coastguard’s 12-ship Anping class have now fired Hsiung Feng missiles, underscoring a broader effort to turn them into an additional pool of naval strike platforms.