Taiwan Aims for Mass Production of Maritime Drones by 2026

Taiwan is eyeing the commencement of mass production of maritime drones, uncrewed surface vessels with a speedboat-like appearance, in 2026, contingent on the successful outcome of military tests conducted by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology.

Senior government officials announced this development to Taipei Times.

The initiative to develop uncrewed vehicles was spurred by Ukraine's utilization of remotely controlled craft to neutralize Russian vessels, prompting Taiwan to bolster its military capabilities. Maritime drones offer the military the ability to execute unexpected attacks during wartime, minimizing personnel casualties and acting as a deterrent to potential adversaries. Taiwan's plans encompass integrating uncrewed vehicles across air, land, and underwater domains to enhance its reconnaissance, attack, and mine-clearing capabilities.

The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology recently updated its website to announce the successful development and use of an uncrewed target craft system. This system is a remotely controlled maritime vehicle with preplanned routes and real-time video transmission capabilities. It includes features such as radio frequency simulators, interference simulation systems, heaters, flame launchers, and radar signal reflectors. The system's versatility allows it to simulate various signals, interference, and thermal radiation, making it invaluable for assessing weapon performance through military training scenarios.

Furthermore, the target craft system's modules, including radar, weapons, and sonar, can be expanded to accommodate near-shore defense, attack missions, mine detection, and submarine detection. To counter China's military threat, the institute has allocated NT$812 million (U$25.14 million) for the construction of two uncrewed attack craft with different sizes and bomb loads. The remote guidance and control distance for these attack craft is expected to increase from 60km to 70km.

Taiwan’s military procures 100,000 Kestrel rocket launchers

Taiwan's army has procured over 100,000 Kestrel rocket launchers from the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, providing the ground forces' anti-armor company and related units with the opportunity to use actual Kestrel rocket launchers.

The Kestrel rockets, designed for anti-armor purposes, feature a disposable launch tube design to reduce the burden on officers and soldiers. These rockets boast optical targeting and night vision capabilities to meet combat requirements.

Officers and soldiers can choose between anti-armor rockets or attack rockets, depending on the mission, with a maximum range of 1,200m and an effective range of 400m for the attack rockets, enabling them to penetrate a 30cm-thick brick wall.