Hsiung Feng I

Development

NCSIST had limited prior experience with anti-ship missiles, having only experimentally fitted warheads onto MQM-33B drones. The weapon was based on the Israeli Gabriel Mk I, with modifications to compete against the SY-1 missile, effectively making it a Taiwanese interpretation of the Gabriel Mk II. The Republic of China Navy, which imported Gabriel Mk II systems for three Allen M. Sumner class destroyers, required the HF-1 to be interchangeable with Israeli ordnance. The system uses the Taiwanese CS/SPG-21A radar, initially with a 37 km range later upgraded to 46 km.

Service history

The Hsiung Feng I was officially a reverse-engineered version of the Gabriel Mk.2, though Israel is believed to have cooperated with Taiwan. Sun Yat-sen Institute and NCSIST redesigned the missile to include Taiwanese components. First test-fire occurred in 1977, with initial production starting in 1979. Design flaws in the radar radio frequency altimeter, cooling system, and rocket motor undermined effectiveness, leading to a redesigned HF-1A variant that entered production in 1981.

The missile served until 2012. Before the Hsiung Feng II entered service, the HF-1 was the primary anti-ship weapon on all ROC Navy frontline surface combatants, including most Gearing and Allen M. Sumner class destroyers. It remains deployed on Hai Ou class missile boats and some land-based facilities, but is being phased out as larger craft convert to the HF-2. The last ship converted in early 2013, and the missiles were sent back to NCSIST for decommissioning.