The military is aiming to have self-developed uncrewed attack boats pass an initial operational test and evaluation next year and achieve mass production in 2026, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday.
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology has developed uncrewed attack boats as part of the “Kuachi Project (快奇專案).”
The development of drones has proven to be crucial in the Ukraine-Russia war, as Ukraine has used Maritime Autonomous Guard Unmanned Robotic Apparatus V5 (MAGURA V5) vehicles, which weigh less than 1 tonne, to sink Russia’s fully loaded landing ship Kaiser Kunikov, and patrol ship Sergei Kotov.
Photo: Screen grab from the institute’s Web site
The two Russian war vessels have a displacement of more than 4,000 tonnes and 1,700 tonnes, respectively.
The total cost of the Kuachi Project is about NT$810 million (US$24.9 million).
The institute has developed two types of drone boats with different displacements and bomb loads, and adopted a streamlined, stealthy design that reduces radar cross-section, a source familiar with the matter told the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper).
The army and navy were reported to be interested in this project to counter possible attacks from the People’s Liberation Army, the source said, adding that more than 200 drone boats might be needed as the cutting-edge armament complements the policy of asymmetric warfare.
As the military could begin mass production of drone boats in 2026, the military is striving to complete the operational evaluation before next year to meet the production needs of the military services, the source said, adding that the guidance and control distance of attack drone boats is consistent with the military’s coastal combat strategies.
The institute said that drone boats, which were developed by upgrading uncrewed target boats, have functions such as remote control, pre-drawn routes and real-time video transmission.
The drone boats are also equipped with radio frequency simulators, radio frequency interference simulation systems, heaters, flame emitters, radar signal reflectors and other devices, which can achieve the actual needs of the army, including simulation of military training, analysis of tactics and personnel operation training objectives.
The institute also said the drone boat could operate as part of uncrewed water vehicle projects to expand radar, weapons, sonar and other modules’ abilities to perform tasks such as near-shore defense, attack, mine detection and submarine detection.
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