Taiwan invests $25 bln to develop 2 new Unmanned Surface Vessels.

According to information published by the Liberty Times on November 2, 2023,  the Taiwanese Institute of Science and Technology has reportedly allocated a budget of 810.2 million TWD for the development of two new attack-type unmanned boats, with the aim of beginning mass production by 2026.
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Taiwanese Unmanned Surface Vessel Sea Shark 400. (Picture source: Thunder Tiger)

This development is part of Taiwan’s response to military threats and follows the example set by Ukraine, which successfully utilized remotely controlled, explosive-laden unmanned boats against Russian naval forces.

The deployment of unmanned attack vehicles has become a key focus area. The advantages of these systems include their potential for surprise attacks, reducing personnel casualties, and Taiwan's existing capabilities in system integration. Taiwan plans to extensively develop its unmanned vehicles for reconnaissance, attack, and mine clearing operations, both on the surface and underwater.

The Institute recently updated its website with details about its unmanned target boat system. This system, an unmanned maritime vehicle, is equipped with remote control, pre-programmed navigation, and real-time video transmission capabilities.

It features devices like radio frequency simulators, RF jamming systems, heaters, flame launchers, and radar reflectors, making it capable of simulating a variety of sea targets for realistic weapons performance training.

The Institute also stated that the system could be expanded with radar, weapons, sonar modules, and more, to carry out missions like coastal defense, attack, mine detection, and anti-submarine warfare.

Internally, there are plans to counter Chinese military threats by investing 810.2 million TWD over two years, starting in 2024, to develop these attack-type unmanned boats based on the existing unmanned target boat system. The new vessels will have an extended remote-control range, improved stealth capabilities, and a streamlined design for effective surprise attacks.

The Institute is already mass-producing various types of attack drones. If the attack-type unmanned boats meet military operational evaluation requirements, mass production is expected to start in 2026. Concurrently, research and testing of unmanned underwater attack vehicles are also underway.