TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan and the US have agreed to co- produce the domestically developed Jingfeng I loitering munition system for export.
Liberty Times cited a senior government official on Wednesday as saying the two sides have compiled a list of hardware and weapon systems eligible for co-production. US representatives will handle international marketing and sales.
The first project is the Jingfeng I loitering munition system, developed by National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. The official said Jingfeng I was selected after undergoing multiple operational tests and entering service with Taiwan's Marine Corps.
According to the report, the project must still undergo national security reviews and receive funding approval from the legislature before production can begin. Initial exports could include 10 to 50 complete systems, comprising about 500 to 1,000 drones.
Unlike Taiwan's previous overseas military sales, which consisted primarily of individual weapons, ammunition, or artillery shells, the Jingfeng I would be exported as a complete weapon system, Liberty Times reported. Each system includes a folding-wing loitering munition, a gas-powered launch tube, a ground control tablet, and a modular tactical backpack.
The report said the system can be launched from Marine Corps speedboats, unmanned surface vessels, ground vehicles, and unmanned ground vehicles, or carried by the Albatross II drone, providing operational flexibility across multiple platforms.
