The US has provided Taiwan with a Jump 20 uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) system to boost security in the Taiwan Strait, the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said on Monday.
The US provided the drone for free in a deal brokered by CGA Director-General Chou Mei-wu (周美伍) at the end of last year, local media reported.
Washington also agreed to provide training for drone operators, they reported.
Photo: Screen grab from AeroVironment Inc’s Web site
Jump 20 is a fixed-wing drone with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. It is developed by AeroVironment Inc, based in Arlington, Virginia.
The agreement aims to tackle the illegal transfer of oil between ships at sea, illicit fishing and cross-border criminal activity, as well as provide assistance during maritime search-and-rescue operations.
CGA personnel with drone operator certificates have undergone training to fly the Jump 20, a source familiar with the matter said.
Neither media reports nor the CGA said when the drone was delivered.
Local media have reported that the CGA encountered import control barriers when importing the drone to Taiwan, and that it requested technical assistance from the Ministry of National Defense and the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology.
However, the CGA on Monday denied the reports.
Lawmakers across the political spectrum hailed the acquisition.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said he was pleased to see Washington’s willingness to provide the drone for free, given it is a next-generation model used by the US Army.
The move points at substantive progress in regional security cooperation between Taiwan and the US, he said.
It takes one step further Washington’s plan to send Taiwan US$500 million in weapons aid, including Stinger missiles, he added.
The drone would boost the CGA’s capability to combat crimes at sea, and maintain maritime and regional security, Chiang said, adding that it could also play a more important role in areas other than surveillance and reconnaissance.
Its ability to be deployed, operated and sustained from any location would be beneficial in the event military infrastructure is damaged in an attack, Chiang said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) said the drone would boost the CGA’s ability to improve security and crack down on maritime crime.
Chang Yen-ting (張延廷), a former deputy commander of the air force, said the drone can provide multisensor intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The drone can stay airborne for more than 14 hours per mission and has a top speed of 93kph, he said, adding that its low visual and acoustic signature makes it ideal for multimission operations.
Chieh Chung (揭仲), an associate research fellow at the National Policy Foundation in Taipei, said the drone can indirectly improve Taiwan’s capability to survey its surrounding waters, which would help the nation counter “gray zone” threats by China.
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
The New Taipei City Art Museum this weekend plans to celebrate its first anniversary with a two-day extravaganza featuring live concerts and a large-scale synchronized fireworks and drone display, the New Taipei City Cultural Affairs Department said. The two-day celebrations are to take place in the museum’s outdoor park, with markets and live performances by singers including Ann Bai (白安), Bii (畢書盡) and the Cosmos People (宇宙人), the department said. The highlight on both evenings would be the "Echoes of Light" show, an aerial spectacle combining fireworks and drone performances designed around the concept of "dual stages in the sky," it
RSS