DEFENSE/Taiwan's Navy to receive domestically developed loitering munitions

Taichung, Dec. 24 (CNA) Taiwan's Navy has placed an order to buy a batch of Loitering Unmanned Aircraft Type I drones from the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST).

The drones have been nicknamed the "Taiwanese Switchblade 300" by the local media due to having similar features to the famous U.S.-developed drone.

Yeh Chia-fan (葉嘉範), director of the Aeronautical Systems Research Division at the NCSIST, a state-run weapons developer, told reporters at an open house Tuesday that the drones were undergoing final testing before delivery.

Yeh declined to comment on the exact number of drones the Navy has committed to buy.

The NCSIST-developed Loitering Unmanned Aircraft Type I has an operational range of 10 kilometers and an endurance of more than 15 minutes, according to information made public by Taiwan's military and the NCSIST.

It can be outfitted with an electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) system and a high-explosive warhead and can be carried and set up by one soldier to target high-value targets or high-level threats, including personnel and vehicles.

It is especially effective against enemies in coastal waters.