Taiwan is acquiring four additional MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones from the US to bolster its surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.
Around $250 million has been awarded to General Atomics to deliver the unmanned systems, along with two certifiable ground control stations, spare parts, and necessary support equipment.
The company will work on the contract at its facility in California and will deliver the systems by 2027.
In May 2023, the US Air Force ordered four SkyGuardians worth $218 million to help Taipei prepare for a potential Chinese invasion.
The first four remotely-piloted aircraft under order will be delivered by 2025.
Monitoring China
Taiwan’s acquisition of MQ-9B drones comes as Beijing ramps up military activities near the island nation.
On Tuesday, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense said it tracked 10 Chinese military aircraft, including a drone, entering the country’s air defense identification zone.
Taipei immediately sent its aircraft and prepared its air defense missiles in response to the unauthorized incursion.
The new SkyGuardians will enable the country to better monitor China, especially as the unmanned system can perform over-the-horizon missions for more than 40 hours straight.
The drones will also be able to deliver real-time situational awareness thanks to its revolutionary Lynx multi-mode radar and electro-optical/infrared sensor.
