According to a senior official who spoke to Nikkei Asia, Taiwan has decided to purchase dozens of unmanned surface vessels for its Coast Guard, utilizing American technology to expedite the strengthening of its defense capabilities in response to the increasing maritime activities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the region.
The official, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, revealed that the government plans to procure 25 unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and two unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for the Coast Guard from the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST).
The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology is set to collaborate with the American company Maritime Tactical Systems (MARTAC, for the procurement.
The official mentioned that the goal is to launch at least one prototype vessel for testing in the first half of next year. However, the official also cautioned that the project is still in its “early stages.”
This move to equip the Coast Guard with USVs and UUVs is seen as a crucial response to the increasingly challenging maritime environment in the vicinity of Taiwan, where the CCP has been conducting patrols.
President Lai Ching-te has prioritized reforming and strengthening Taiwan’s maritime and security capabilities as a key policy task to counter the rapid military expansion of the CCP.
Despite protests from Taiwan, Japan, and other countries, Beijing has recently extended its military activities in the airspace and waters surrounding Taiwan to the eastern sea areas, conducting what it calls “law enforcement” missions multiple times.
Such actions have raised concerns that the CCP may attempt to block Taiwan, exert immense pressure on the island to relinquish its sovereignty, and severely disrupt global shipping.
Unmanned vehicles are considered a key element of President Lai’s asymmetric defense strategy aimed at deterring the much larger military forces of the CCP.
Taiwanese decision-makers are closely monitoring Ukraine’s experience, where Ukrainian forces have inflicted significant damage on the Russian Black Sea Fleet with unmanned vessels during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Unmanned vehicles have also been a focal point in the conflicts between the US and Iran, as reports indicate that the US military recently utilized unmanned vessels to attack Iranian ports.
MARTAC, headquartered in Florida, is a US defense technology company specializing in USVs and related systems.
Last September, MARTAC signed a cooperation agreement with the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology to jointly develop USVs with artificial intelligence (AI) target recognition and cooperative combat capabilities.
As Taiwan’s premier weapon system research and development institution, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology continues to expand its collaboration with American companies in the maritime defense field, including Saronic Technologies, Anduril Industries, and Shield AI.