The military plans to invest NT$6.89 billion (US$215.73 million) to purchase six types of drones to bolster the nation’s asymmetrical combat capabilities, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
Three of the six types of drones fall under the categories “surveillance and reconnaissance,” “land-based surveillance and reconnaissance” and “ship-mounted surveillance and reconnaissance,” while the other three are micro-drones, including “target acquisition” and “tactical” drones, it said.
The ministry said it would acquire the surveillance and reconnaissance drones, while the land and ship drones would be purchased by the navy and the micro-drones would be purchased by the army.
Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Procurement of the surveillance and reconnaissance drones and the navy’s ship-mounted drones is estimated to be completed before the end of next year, the ministry said.
The army hopes to obtain all three types of micro-drones by the end of September 2027, it said.
The navy’s land-based drones would be acquired over four years, with the last purchase expected to be made in October 2028, it said.
Taiwan UAV (智飛科技), Coretronic Robotics (中光電), MiTAC Information Technology Corp (神通資訊) and Evergreen Aviation Technologies Corp (EVGA, 長榮航太) obtained the bids for the drones, the ministry said.
Taiwan UAV would focus on the development of land-based reconnaissance and monitoring drones; EVGA would develop ship-based surveillance and reconnaissance drones; Coretronic would develop surveillance and reconnaissance, and micro-drones; and MiTAC would develop micro-drones, as well as a tactical micro-drone, it said.
The tactical micro-drone would cost an additional NT$1.19 billion, the ministry said.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
TRUST: The KMT said it respected the US’ timing and considerations, and hoped it would continue to honor its commitments to helping Taiwan bolster its defenses and deterrence US President Donald Trump is delaying a multibillion-dollar arms sale to Taiwan to ensure his visit to Beijing is successful, a New York Times report said. The weapons sales package has stalled in the US Department of State, the report said, citing US officials it did not identify. The White House has told agencies not to push forward ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), it said. The two last month held a phone call to discuss trade and geopolitical flashpoints ahead of the summit. Xi raised the Taiwan issue and urged the US to handle arms sales to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s (黎智英) fraud conviction and prison sentence were yesterday overturned by a Hong Kong court, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge. Judges Jeremy Poon (潘兆初), Anthea Pang (彭寶琴) and Derek Pang (彭偉昌) said in the judgement that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.” “The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges
RSS