Taiwan buys 1,000 'killer drones' for US after Chinese Army's combat exercise around the island

Taiwan has signed contracts to acquire nearly 1,000 “killer drones” from the United States, enhancing its asymmetric warfare capabilities as tensions with China escalate.

The deal was confirmed a day after the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted extensive joint combat exercises around Taiwan in response to Taiwanese leader William Lai Ching-te’s perceived pro-independence stance.

A $164 million contract

According to Taiwan’s government procurement website, the Taiwanese army signed two contracts on Tuesday (October 15) with the American Institute in Taiwan, which functions as the US de facto embassy in Taipei, South China Morning Post reported.

The contracts, valued at $163.9 million, involve the purchase of two types of loitering munition drones: 685 Switchblade 300 drones, intended for personnel targeting, and 291 Altius 600M-V drones, designed for anti-armour strikes.

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The Switchblade drones, lightweight loitering munitions with a range of 30 kilometers and a flight time exceeding 20 minutes, are expected to be delivered by the end of November 2029. Manufactured by AeroVironment, the Switchblade 300s can be launched from various platforms within two minutes and have shown effectiveness in Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russian forces.

The larger Altius 600M, which can loiter for up to four hours with a range of 440 kilometers, will be delivered by the end of 2027. Produced by Anduril, this drone is deployable from land, air, and sea and can be equipped with various seeker and warhead options, the South China Morning Post

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Taiwan’s defence ministry said that these loitering munitions will enhance the island’s multilayered deterrence strategy, complementing its precision missiles and domestically produced drones.

The drones will be deployed at key strategic locations across Taiwan, including Taoyuan in the north, Taichung in central Taiwan, Kaohsiung in the south, and Hualien in the east.

The US approved the sales in June. Washington has been supporting Taiwan’s defence as cross-strait relations continue to deteriorate due to Chinese belligerence.