Taiwan to Acquire More than 2,000 Altius Drones from Anduril
Taiwan is further strengthening its asymmetric capabilities by acquiring more than 2,000 Altius unmanned aerial vehicles from US defence company Anduril.
Taiwan has signed an NT$26.9 billion (US$ 847 million) contract to acquire more than 2,000 US-made attack and reconnaissance drones as it expands its asymmetric capabilities.
The Ministry of National Defence announced the contract last week through the government’s electronic procurement system. It covers 1,554 Altius-700M loitering munitions and 478 Altius-600 ISR reconnaissance drones. The systems are manufactured by US defence technology company Anduril Industries and are expected to be deployed primarily with Army units.
Although the total value of the previously announced military sales package by the US was approximately US$ 1.1 billion (approximately NT$35.2 billion), the NT$26.9 billion award announced on the electronic procurement website mainly covers the cost of the drones themselves and their systems. This represents the core contract amount for the pure airframe and launch vehicle, indicating that both parties have formally signed a Letter of Offer (LOA).
The Army previously acquired 291 basic Altius-600M drones through its regular budget, with the systems reportedly achieving a 100% hit rate in a recent live-fire maritime exercise. The performance helped support plans to significantly expand the drone fleet through the special budget.
The Altius-700M is designed to strike targets such as heavy armoured vehicles and air defence systems. It can carry a 14- to 15-kilogram heavy warhead capable of destroying modern main battle tanks or fortified positions, with destructive power nearly equivalent to that of an AGM-114 Hellfire missile.
The Altius-600 ISR is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, including battlefield searches, target designation, and electronic warfare. With the same endurance as the Altius-600M, it can loiter over target areas for extended periods to conduct surveillance and support coordinated operations.
Initial deliveries of the new drones are expected to begin in the fourth quarter, with the full order scheduled for completion by June 2033, according to Liberty Times.
The Ministry of National Defence said the acquisition will strengthen Taiwan’s defence resilience, while the Army has established a dedicated unit to develop unmanned systems and integrate them into its joint command structure.
Sources: Liberty Times; Taiwan Times
