Taiwan receives first delivery of US attack drones
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Taiwan has received the first batch of US-made Altius-600M drone, with Wellington Koo claiming the weapons acquisition comes in light of the current security situation.
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The Altius 600-M multimission loitering munition, as displayed by its manufacturer Anduril (anduril.com)
Taiwan received the first batch of US-made Altius-600M attack drones, as confirmed by Defense Minister Wellington Koo late Tuesday, without providing further details.
The Ministry said Wellington Koo met with Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries, which manufactures the drones, and thanked him for delivering the first batch. "This project, initiated last year, achieved rapid delivery of the first batch this year," the minister stated.
Wellington emphasized that in light of the current "severe threat environment," the Defense Ministry is continuing to plan and procure both surveillance and attack drones to address defense operation needs.
Last month, official media outlet Focus Taiwan reported that the military plans to procure around 50,000 drones over the next two years, while on Tuesday, Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te said defense spending will surpass 3% of the island’s $815 billion GDP to strengthen self-defense capabilities.
The Altius-600M can be launched from land, air, or sea platforms and is capable of hovering for up to four hours while covering distances of up to 440 kilometers (273 miles), with the ability to scout battlefields, relay communications, resist electronic warfare, and carry high-explosive anti-tank missiles.
Lai’s pledge to increase defense spending comes as a US Congressional Research Service report revealed that the executive branch had notified Congress of more than $28 billion in weapons sales to Taiwan between 2015 and 2025.
