A military weapons development company owned by the Taiwan government has unveiled 5 new types of drones, with capabilities that enable them to confront the “new world war”, as the Taiwanese military put it.
The company displayed 8 types of domestically manufactured drones, including 5 models that were shown to the public for the first time.
The director of aviation systems research at the Taiwanese Military Institute, Eric Chi, says that the new aircraft come in different sizes, and are equipped with either combat or surveillance capabilities, and will be handed over to the Taiwanese army.
According to Qi, the accelerated arming of this type of aircraft came in response to the trends of the “new world war”, so that the Taiwanese army could confront the threats, referring to China.
“Taiwan is developing core technologies, aiming to fully implement the national policy of defense self-sufficiency,” he added.
The Chinese army is on alert to confront any strategic threats
Super capabilities
• One of the aircraft was designed with smart and modern methods for surveillance purposes, which is the “Patros 2” unmanned aerial vehicle, which is capable of missions that require long periods of surveillance, and tracks naval vessels over the sea using artificial intelligence.
• The aircraft is able to stay in the air continuously for 16 hours, and has a maximum range of more than 300 km.
• The second aircraft on display is the portable “Cardinal 3 UAVK”, which is capable of vertical take-off and landing, and is designed to monitor activities along the coast.
• The Luitring Mountain UAV, equipped with a warhead and capable of targeting individuals or vehicles from the sky, is modeled after the American Switchblade 300, which the Ukrainian army has used extensively to target Russian radar systems.
Other types of new combat drones are also designed to take advantage of GPS satellite systems and image-tracking technologies to launch attacks, according to the institute.
• It demonstrated domestic military drones already in use by the Taiwanese military, including a medium-altitude long-endurance aircraft capable of long-distance surveillance and advanced air and sea warning.
• The Institute expects that the new drones will enter mass production near the end of this year.
Counter military reinforcements
This coincides with Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s pledge, in his first speech after assuming a new presidential term, to strengthen national security and turn the army into a “great wall of steel”.
It is noteworthy that the level of tension between China and Taiwan (run by the self-rule system) is very high, since the latter accepted the visit of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the island in August 2022, despite Beijing’s refusal.
Beijing accuses Washington of supporting “separatists” on the island, which it considers part of its territory, and has threatened more than once to invade it militarily if it continues its “secession” efforts.
Taiwan relies heavily on US weapons to maintain its defense capabilities against China, and earlier this March, US President Joe Biden’s administration approved the sale of weapons estimated at $619 million to Taiwan, including missiles for its F-16 fighter jets.
And last October, Taiwan announced that it would increase its annual defense spending this year by 13.9 percent, and also announced the extension of the conscription period for qualified men from 4 months to a year, starting in 2024.
