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.
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