Taiwan is to take delivery of two General Atomics MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones from the US in 2026 and another two by 2027, a US Air Force spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The spokesperson in an e-mail to the Central News Agency confirmed that Taiwan had purchased the four drones, two mobile ground control systems and related equipment from the US for US$467 million.
They are to be delivered in two batches, in 2026 and 2027, they said.
Photo: Reuters
The purchase was approved by Washington in November 2020 and the contract was delivered to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc in May last year, for completion by May next year.
The US Department of Defense reannounced the deal last week, leading some media to mistakenly report that Taiwan had purchased another four SkyGuardian drones.
The 2020 announcement of the deal by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said that the drones would help Taiwan by “providing timely intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; target acquisition; and counter-land, counter-sea and anti-submarine strike capabilities for its security and defense.”
Based on a notice sent from the department to the US Congress, the drones are to be equipped with a maritime monitoring and positioning system, leading to speculation that Taipei purchased the SeaGuardian variation of the drone, Cato Institute senior fellow Eric Gomez said on Wednesday.
Regardless of which type, the MQ-9B drone can fly for long periods of time at high altitudes, he said.
This makes it ideal for continuous surveillance during peacetime, helping to reduce Taiwan’s reliance on fighter jets for the task, he said.
However, it can easily be spotted and shot down at high altitudes, making it a less useful asset in a high-intensity conflict, Gomez added.
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