Taiwan is rapidly advancing its naval drone (USV) capabilities, drawing inspiration from Ukraine’s “unprecedented success” using similar uncrewed surface vessels in the Black Sea to disrupt Russian naval operations, a report released yesterday by international media outlet Naval News said.
The new fleet of USVs has been designed to disrupt and weaken a possible Chinese invasion by targeting landing craft, disrupting supply lines and exposing enemy ships to missile strikes, it said.
Photo: Naval News
Four new drones are being developed with support from National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and private industry, with at least 12 firms involved in recent trials as the pace has “visibly quickened,” it said.
Analysts have said that Taiwan’s USV developments could significantly increase the cost and complexity required for China to invade, which could “add to the uncertainty for Beijing’s military planners... [and] increase Beijing’s risk calculus,” it added.
“Few individual weapons are war winning, and the threat from mainland China (PRC) is nuanced, but these could make a difference,” the report said.
The first wave of war-fighting designs was demonstrated in June, it said.
The Kuaiqi most closely matches the Ukrainian design as a low-profile vessel that can travel at a fast speed of 43 knots and is armed with loitering munitions and explosive bow charges, it said.
The Endeavour Manta, a “more futuristic” design, is a trimaran with satellite communications, radar-absorbing materials and optional crew capability, while the Sea Shark 800 is a heavily-armored motorboat evolved from the earlier Sea Shark 400 model, it added.
Meanwhile, the nine-meter long Piranha 9 has a radar-absorbent hull, a drone hangar and is powered by twin inboard motors driving water jets, it said.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS