The US Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance air vehicle is not only combat-proven but ready for mass production, while a similar domestic program has yet to produce a feasible model.
The military's Chun Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) has been working on unmanned reconnaissance air vehicle (UAVs) program for years, with assistance from another country, but none of its models have proven to be reliable and deployable.
The institute has produced several different UAV prototypes, including a large one known as the "Chung Hsiang" and a smaller one called the "Kestrel."
There have been three different versions of the Chung Hsiang, while the Kestrel has two variants.
The Chung Hsiang was designed for military operations because of its larger payload, while the Kestrel could also be used for non-combat purposes.
The Chung Hsiang III was seen in public for the first time in mid-May during the live-fire part of the Hankuang No. 19 exercise held in Ilan County. Prior to that exercise, people outside the military were not aware that a third model had been developed.
A defense official who did not wish to be named said the maindifference between the models was the foreign technology.
"The Chung Hsiang I was based mainly on technology available in this country and is no longer in use," the official said.
"The Chung Hsiang II was much more advanced than its predecessor because of technology introduced from abroad. Its payload was provided by a country that has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan," he said.
"The Chung Hsiang III was the product of largely indigenous efforts. Several military technicians who received advanced studies in the US contributed a lot to the development of the vehicle," he said.
The institute's repeated changes and slow pace in developing UAVs has aroused concern among military leaders about a possible shift in the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait, since China has deployed UAVs bought from Israel in its southeast provinces facing Taiwan.
The Israeli-made UAV is capable of carrying anti-radiation missiles, posing a great threat to Taiwan's command and control system.
Though desperate to have a UAV that could counter the new Chinese threat, the military has yet to decide whether to abandon the CSIST program and buy UAVs from abroad.
The institute is already scheduled to lose it independence. In October it will incorporated into the military armament system and all CSIST command positions will be reduced in rank. For example, department chief will no longer need to be a major general after the incorporation, just a colonel.
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