TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s latest drone technology was on full display at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition, which opened on Thursday.
The National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology spotlighted a number of its advanced drone systems, including the Barracuda-500 autonomous cruise missile, designed in partnership with US-based defense firm Anduril Industries. It is a low-cost, modular missile that can be transported by mobile vehicles and used to attack various enemy vessels or for interference operations.
NCSIST co-developed the Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle and the C-500M underwater autonomous mobile mine with Anduril. The Dive-LD can be reconfigured for different missions. It can operate for 10 days at a time and reach a depth of 6,000 meters.
The underwater mine can be used as an anti-anchor and anti-submarine warfare barrier. It possesses intelligent decision-making capabilities and can form a multi-layered strike force with other systems to target enemy ships or block enemy waterways.
The institute also unveiled an anti-armor variant of the Mighty Hornet drone, developed in collaboration with Kratos, another US defense company. It is capable of vertical takeoff followed by transition to horizontal flight and is armed with an anti-armor warhead.
Taiwan UAV showcased two of its drones, including the TU-30VG vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing drone and TU-45GD delta-wing loitering munition. The TU-30VG has a data link range of 150 kilometers and can fly for more than eight hours. In 2024, the defense ministry awarded a contract to Taiwan UAV to supply the Taiwan Navy with 96 TU-30VGs.
The TU-45GD, designed with Anduril, has automated target recognition and can fly for up to five hours. It has a 10-kilogram payload and a data link range of more than 50 km.
Thunder Tiger revealed its Seashark 600 autonomous uncrewed surface vessel, which has a payload of up to 600 kg and a top speed of up to 74 kph.
Its Tiger Road unmanned ground vehicle, which can launch loitering munitions, was also on display. It has a 250-kg payload and can travel up to 30 kph.
Lungteh Shipbuilding presented its Black Tide prototype USV, which is stealthy and has a low profile for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and suicide strike missions. It has a top speed of 79.6 kph.
The defense expo, which runs until Sept. 20, features more than 400 companies from 14 countries. Domestic exhibitors include the Ministry of National Defense, the Taiwan Space Agency, the Taiwan Aerospace Industry Association, AIDC, and Thunder Tiger.
Foreign contractors include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Anduril, and Czech firm Excalibur International.
