TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The military plans to produce 1,600 attack unmanned surface vessels  under the proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.85 billion) special budget to strengthen defense in the Taiwan Strait.

Officials said building the hulls is relatively straightforward, but turning them into weapons requires integrating high-performance explosives with advanced guidance and command-and-control systems, per Liberty Times.

To speed production, the Navy Command is expected to commission the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology as prime contractor. NCSIST has relevant experience through its Kuai Chi program and has signed a cooperation agreement with US USV company MARTAC.

That setup would allow NCSIST to integrate command-and-control, sensors, guidance modules, and explosives into a complete weapons system rather than delivering a standalone platform, officials said. If selected as the primary manufacturer, partial deployment could begin as soon as 2027.

Both the Navy and Army have submitted requirements for the attack USVs. The Navy’s baseline calls for a top speed of at least 64 kilometers per hour and a range of at least 460 km.

The vessels must be capable of autonomous target identification and navigation with collision avoidance, endure sea state level 4 on the Beaufort scale, and operate in swarms. They also need electro-optical/infrared modules and the ability to transmit imagery from up to 44 km away while resisting interference with global navigation satellite systems and radio signals.