Taiwan unveils its own new drone to reporters/Sam Yeh/AFP/Getty Images
2023.03.15 Wed posted at 15:50 JST
Taiwan・Taichung (CNN) A weapons developer owned by the Taiwanese government unveiled five new military drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) produced independently on the 14th. Against China, which is increasing its military threat, Taiwan is aiming for an asymmetrical increase in military power.
At the National Zhongshan Institute of Science, which CNN and other reporters visited, eight types of drones developed locally by a Taiwanese weapons developer were unveiled. Five of these models were shown to the public for the first time.
The new drones come in a variety of sizes, each with combat or reconnaissance capabilities. This was announced by Eric Qi, who oversees the Aviation Research Bureau of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The devices are said to be designed for use by different branches of Taiwan’s military.
“To meet the new tide of world warfare, our military is actively enhancing its asymmetric warfare capabilities,” said Qi.
He added that the core technology the Chinese Academy of Sciences is developing is to fully implement the policy of self-sufficient defense.
China’s Communist Party leaders have become more assertive about Taiwan’s sovereignty and have made it clear that they will use force to bring it under their control.
Taiwan currently relies heavily on US weapons to maintain its defense capabilities, but he also emphasizes the stance of accelerating the development of its own weapons and increasing its military power. Cheaper and more mobile weapon systems, among others, could help deter a Chinese invasion.
Last October, Taiwan announced plans to increase its defense budget this year by 13.9%. It also plans to extend the military service period for all eligible men from four months to one year after 2024.
One of the new drones unveiled to the press, the Albatross II, is now capable of longer reconnaissance missions and can use artificial intelligence (AI) to track ships at sea.
It also has a continuous flight time of 16 hours and a maximum flight distance of more than 300 kilometers, the Chinese Academy of Sciences told reporters.
In addition, the portable, vertical take-off and landing “Cardinal III” is for monitoring activities in coastal areas. Another major loitering combat drone is piloted by a single soldier. Equipped with a single warhead, this drone can attack humans and vehicles from the air. In the development, we referred to “Switchblade 300” made in the United States. The aircraft is used extensively by the Ukrainian military to defend against a Russian invasion.
Other types of combat drones include those that utilize GPS (Global Positioning System) and image tracking technology.
The performance specifications of each drone are classified as confidential by the Taiwanese government and will not be made public in the future.
Qi said the new drone is currently being tested by Taiwan’s military and is likely to enter mass production as early as the end of this year.
