Taiwan has performed test flight of local-made Teng Yun UAV.

According to the Taiwanese United Daily News newspaper, Taiwan has performed a test flight with its local-made UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) dubbed Teng Yun (Cloud Rider in English) near an Air Force base. The Teng Yun is a medium-altitude long-endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle produced by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CIST).

Teng Yun UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at Hualien Air Force base in 2016 (Picture source Wikimedia Commons)

The Teng Yun UAV, which seems physically similar to the American-made Predator, was seen flying close to the fishing port of Fugang on several recent evenings.

At the beginning of this year, it was announced that the Taiwanese Teng Yun UAV is ready for production.

Taiwan’s Air Force lost interest in purchasing the Teng Yun due to its electronic systems, the United Daily News quoted an expert as saying, but the recent tests might indicate that the Chung-Shan Institute upgraded the systems and that the Air Force might have again expressed a willingness to buy.

The Teng Yun UAV is equipped with an electronic interference system developed by CIST that upgrades the drone's military strategic value from surveillance equipment to a multi-functional jamming device, capable of interfering enemies’ electronic surveillance systems.