The US is considering providing the navy with Jump 20 uncrewed aerial vehicles to strengthen its mid to long-range reconnaissance capabilities and support its development of a new-generation reconnaissance drone, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.
The US previously provided drones of the same type to the Coast Guard Administration in 2022, the source said, adding that the drones offered to the navy, although of the same kind, would have more advanced specifications.
The drone was provided as part of the US foreign military financing program, the source said.
Photo: screen grab from AeroVironment Inc’s Web site
The Jump 20 is among the first wave of drones developed under the US Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System Program and has only been provided to Ukraine and Taiwan outside the US armed forces, the source said.
The US has allegedly provided Taiwan “free military assistance” per the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, including 80,000 sets of personal equipment and 1,000 M240B machine guns, the source said.
The Ministry of National Defense has neither confirmed nor denied the reports.
The source declined to comment on what other kinds of equipment would be provided aside from the Jump 20 drone.
The Jump 20 is a fixed-wing drone with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. It was developed by Arlington, Virginia-based AeroVironment Inc.
Chang Yen-ting (張延廷), a former deputy commander of the air force, in 2023 said that the drone can provide multisensor intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
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 make it ideal for multimission operations.
Chieh Chung (揭仲), an associate research fellow at the National Policy Foundation in Taipei, in 2023 said that the drone would indirectly improve Taiwan’s capability to survey its surrounding waters, which would help the nation counter “gray zone” threats by China.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS