New Loitering Munition Unveiled at NCSIST Event
New drone will enable the Taiwanese military to increase firepower at the fireteam/squad level to rapidly destroy of HVTs.
The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) 中科院 unveiled several new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) that are currently under development at its Taichung campus on March 14th. However, one of the new UASs displayed at the event was a drone similar to the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 loitering munition.
The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) 中科院 unveiled several new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) that are currently under development at its Taichung campus on March 14th. These UASs ranged from new versions of the Albatross II 銳鳶二 and Cardinal III 紅雀三 UASs to the Rising Sword 劍翔anti-radiation loitering munition. However, one of the new UASs displayed at the event was a drone similar to the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 loitering munition.
The team responsible for developing the loitering munition – called the ‘Flying Missile UAS’ 巡飛彈無人機系統 – said the munition can be carried and launched by an individual soldier. The suicide drone carries an EO/IR optical system like its Switchblade 300 counterpart and carries a high-explosive warhead in its nose area. The UAS also shares similar performance characteristics – such as range, endurance, and launch method – like the Switchblade. Below is a table showing the characteristics of both UASs:
The R&D team said the suicide drone can be used to target High-Value Targets (HVTs) such as people and vehicles and it could be used to attack naval vessels near the shoreline. The drone can also be manually or autonomously controlled and can be controlled via an operator’s panel/controller. Additionally, the drone can self-destruct if the target disappears or moves to a crowded location.
Analysis: The new Taiwanese suicide drone is a clone of the Switchblade 300 since it shares similar characteristics and appearance. The munition will enable the Taiwanese Army and Marine Corps units to add additional firepower to the squad or fireteam level and to quickly strike HVTs beyond line of sight. The new drone also shows how the Taiwanese military is applying ‘lessons learned’ from the Ukrainian conflict since it saw how the Ukrainian military successfully used the Switchblade 300.