Taiwan is putting a homegrown mid-layer missile shield into its public defense budget for the first time, a sign it expects the missile threat from China to keep growing.

• The air force has set aside NT$36 billion through 2032 to buy the Strong Bow missile system, moved out of the classified budget into the open books.
• The system is built to shoot down Chinese tactical ballistic missiles inside the atmosphere at ranges up to 1,000 kilometers.
• It plugs into existing lower-tier defenses like Patriot and Sky Bow III to create layered coverage, so anything that gets past one layer meets another.
• Launchers are mobile to survive a first strike, and the fire-control radar is Taiwan's first home-built AESA radar, with longer reach than the radars now in service.

Outlook: Deliveries of the missiles and hardware start in 2028, with exact quantities kept secret.