Taiwan shipbuilder unveils domestic unmanned surface vehicle

Kaohsiung, March 25 (CNA) A Kaohsiung-based shipbuilder on Tuesday unveiled its first domestically produced military-use unmanned surface vehicle (USV) that its designers said is well suited for operations in the treacherous Taiwan Strait.

Huang Cheng-hung (黃正弘), chair of CSBC Corp., Taiwan, said his company began developing the military-grade USV in early 2024.

The finished product, "Endeavor Manta," is a trimaran drone ship measuring 8.6 meters by 3.7 meters made of fiber-reinforced plastic.

According to its designers, it has a maximum speed of 35 nautical miles and a payload of over 1 metric ton.

The drone ship comes with a communication system with multiple modes including 4G, radio frequency, and satellite.

It is also equipped with artificial intelligence targeting, anti-hijacking systems and a group-control autonomous navigation system with collision avoidance, Huang said.

Endeavor Manta can carry explosives on its bow and light torpedoes on its two sides, according to Huang.

The trimaran design gives the USV higher sailing performance and increases its seakeeping characteristics and mobility, allowing it to better survive the treacherous Taiwan Strait, which is influenced by the Kuroshio or "Black Current," Huang said.

CSBC Corp., Taiwan also conducted a round of demonstration of the drone ship.