TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s Thunder Tiger, a major manufacturer of radio-controlled aircraft and drones, has expanded into unmanned surface vessels and is seeking both domestic and overseas defense contracts, per CNA.
Thunder Tiger formally entered the USV sector in September 2024 by acquiring a 60% stake in Morningstar Boats, a shipbuilder specializing in unibody aluminum alloy workboats produced using a metal stamping process, unlike many yacht manufacturers that rely on fiberglass hulls. Aluminum alloy construction allows for greater durability and consistency.
Thunder Tiger’s current USV line, the SeaShark series, also adopts unibody stamping technology and is produced at the company’s facility in Taoyuan’s Luzhu Industrial Park. Inside the factory, a three-story-high, 2,000-metric-ton metal stamping press shapes aluminum alloy sheets into hulls using large industrial molds.
Thunder Tiger Chair Chen Guan-ru (陳冠如) said Morningstar previously specialized in workboats that are 8 meters in length, a size that allows them to be loaded into shipping containers and exported to markets such as Australia and New Zealand.
Chen said Thunder Tiger’s core expertise lies in aviation, with its move into marine vehicles beginning five to six years ago through the development of electric remote-controlled boats. Morningstar Boats assisted in those early efforts.
He said initial USV prototypes relied on battery power, but testing showed the batteries took up too much internal space and limited maneuverability. Gasoline engines, by contrast, provided significantly greater power for the same weight, prompting the company to switch power sources for its USVs.
Thunder Tiger’s SeaShark 800 USV participated in an innovation project sponsored by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, with testing conducted last June. Several months later, the system completed a combat-readiness test in Dapeng Bay in Pingtung County, where a single control station simultaneously operated six 6-meter SeaShark one-way attack USVs.
Chen said Thunder Tiger is also working with Compal Electronics to develop a three-in-one communications receiver capable of receiving low Earth orbit satellite signals and 5G signals. He added that the company plans to develop semi-submersible USVs to support asymmetric warfare capabilities.
Looking ahead, Chen said the company’s current stamping presses can only produce hulls up to 8 meters long. Thunder Tiger plans to purchase 5,000- and 6,000-metric-ton stamping presses, which would enable the production of 12-meter hulls for assault boats.
Thunder Tiger is currently producing about one USV per week without major constraints. The company is also building a production and assembly center, along with a testing ground, at Chiayi’s Dapumei Industrial Park, where it plans to manufacture both drones and unmanned surface vessels in the future.
