DEFENSE / Taiwan showcases its indigenous, co-produced drones at Taipei expo

Taipei, Sept. 18 (CNA) A lineup of drones that may play a critical role in Taiwan's defense efforts was highlighted at the opening of the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition on Thursday, many of them developed locally or in collaboration with the United States.

One such example is the Low-Cost Autonomous Cruise Missile on display at the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) pavilion.

The missile is being jointly developed with an American defense technology company, Anduril Industries, with the aim of going into mass production within two years, after the required tests are completed, according to the NCSIST.

Wang Ting-kuo (王定國), deputy manager of NCSIST's Hsiung Feng missile program, said the cruise missile is the ground-launched version of Anduril's Barracuda-500 and can be deployed independently or as a swarm.

"Based on lessons from the Russian-Ukrainian war, the drone was designed to be deployed in large numbers to ensure combat efficacy on the battlefield," Wang told CNA at the expo.

The missile has a longer range than loitering munitions and therefore can be used not only in anti-landing settings but also in anti-ship scenarios, he said.

The NCSIST is hoping that the drone, slated to be fully manufactured in Taiwan, will cost under NT$6.5 million (US$216,176) per unit, Wang said.

Another product of Taiwan-U.S. collaboration is the Mighty Hornet IV multipurpose drone, a repurposed Kratos MQM-178 target drone with a range of 1,000 kilometers, the NCSIST said.

"The tried-and-true fuselage of the MQM-178 makes the Mighty Hornet IV highly mobile, agile, and maneuverable, much like a 'breaking ball' with a higher chance of striking out a batter," said Chang Wen-tzung (張文總), manager of NCSIST's Unmanned Aerial Systems programs.

Depending on its payload and whether it is fitted with warheads, the Mighty Hornet IV can be configured as a reconnaissance, decoy, attack, or target drone, Chang told CNA.

When mass production begins, he said, the NCSIST will replace the stock engines with "consumable" Taiwanese-developed engines, with the aim of keeping the unit cost below US$300,000 -- about half the price of an MQM-178.

If the drone passes a U.S. test flight soon, it could enter mass production around next year, Chang said, adding that the NCSIST has already identified local contract manufacturers.

Meanwhile, the Mighty Hornet III anti-armor drone is entirely an indigenous loitering munition model, featuring an X-wing configuration, he said.

That configuration allows the drone to fly horizontally and make rapid lateral movements, reducing the likelihood of missing its target at high speed, he explained.

Furthermore, it can be launched vertically from a flat surface and quickly transition to horizontal flight, which means it does not require a tube or dedicated launcher, Chang said.

With a unit price of only NT$1.5 million, the drone can be produced in large numbers to prepare for any attritional warfare, he said.

Operational testing and evaluation of the Mighty Hornet III is expected to be completed by year-end, after which it will be cleared for military acquisition, he said.

The three-day Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition is being held at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center until Saturday.