A prototype of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to a local military research institute crashed during a test flight last week -- drawing attention to a program that has been relatively unknown to the general public.
It also focused attention on potential problems with the project.
The accident occurred last Friday at Taichung's Chingchuankang Air Base (清泉崗空軍基地). The UAV being developed by the military-owned Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CIST, 中山科學研究院) developed problems, plunged to the base's runway and burned up.
FILE PHOTO
Four prototype versions of the aircraft, including the one that crashed, have been made since the program got under way two years ago -- a project which some sources say could now be called off in the wake of the accident.
The aircraft was first introduced to the public last June during the 30th anniversary celebrations of the founding of CIST, when Vice President Lien Chan (
Details of the plane are not being made available for security reasons, said Lt. Col. Cheng Chih-hung (
As to the cause of the crash, Cheng said, "It has yet to be discovered, " although a generator failure is suspected.
According to information provided by Defense International magazine (
It is said to be able to transmit collected data to ground bases in real-time during both day and night operations, as well as under all weather conditions.
Defense International manager Kevin Cheng (
"The Chung-hsiang UAV can be used for both military and civil purposes. But its potential capability cannot be known at the moment because of the lack of data about the payload and maximum flight time of the aircraft," he said.
"The plane can be used militarily for reconnaissance missions and is deployable on front-line outposts like the Kinmen and Matsu islands," Cheng said.
"UAVs were used very effectively by Israel during the 1982 Bekaa Valley battle against Lebanon, in which UAVs successfully penetrated the enemy zone and sent back vital data about the enemy's missile sites to Israeli bases," he said.
But how effective the Chung-hsiang will be in this respect has yet to be determined, he said.
A military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said there are no plans yet for anyone to actually deploy the plane.
"Although the Chung-hsiang program is nearing completion, no military unit has expressed an interest so far in buying the plane," the official said.
"It might take some time for the Chung-hsiang to be put on the priority list for purchase by military units," he said.
According to the official, the plane is best suited for the Army, which needs to extend the range of its "forward observer" function, as well as the Coast Guard, which wants to build a tighter security network along the coastline.
But the Chung-hsiang project could be doomed before it gets off the ground.
A similar plane, manufactured in Australia and called "Aerosomde," might have already won the hearts of the military leadership with its longer flight time and larger payload, the official said.
The Central Weather Bureau has bought several Aerosomdes and used them to obtain real-time meteorological information by flying the planes into the eyes of typhoons.
The Chung-hsiang might very well face the same fate as many other products developed by the CIST -- ending up displayed in exhibition halls while its place on equipment lists is taken by products bought from abroad, military observers said.
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