TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has officially agreed to purchase up to 1,000 attack drones from AeroVironment and Anduril Industries in the US to beef up its asymmetric defense against China.
Taiwan signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) at the end of September, Bloomberg cited sources familiar with the matter as saying. The final step is for both sides to finalize formal contracts detailing quantities, prices, and delivery dates.
The US approved the potential sale in June for US$360.2 million (NT$11.53 billion). The Legislative Yuan allocated funds for the drones on Aug. 30. Delivery of the weapons is expected to span from 2024-2026.
In early September, the Army said it would purchase 685 Switchblade 300 loitering munition systems and 291 ALTIUS 600M-V UAVs from the US.
The Army said as modern warfare evolves, from both strategic and tactical perspectives, drones have become "standard equipment" in modernized forces. For combat units, drones represent an "innovative and asymmetric" combat capability essential for defense operations. Therefore, it said acquiring attack drones that meet combat needs is crucial.
The Switchblade 300 has a range of 15 kilometers, a loiter time of 15 minutes, and weighs 2.5 kilograms. It features optical and infrared sensors and is launched via a portable tube launcher.
The ALTIUS 600M-V has a range of approximately 440 kilometers, a loiter time of four hours, and a weight of up to 27 kilograms. It is equipped with target acquisition and reconnaissance capabilities and can carry ammunition. Additionally, it can be launched from sea, land, and air.
The US State Department announced on Saturday (Oct. 26) the possible sale of three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), 123 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles-Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER), and two radar systems, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
