Taiwan to buy 292 V-BAT reconnaissance drones from Shield AI — Taipei Times

Taiwan’s navy and coast guard will acquire a total of 292 MQ-35A V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing reconnaissance drones made by US defense technology company Shield AI. The navy plans to purchase 280 aircraft, while the coast guard has already received another 12, Taipei Times reports.

Program cost

The coast guard has allocated NT$1.2 billion, or US$37.1 million, to purchase 12 drones. Under the four-year Yuan Xiao program, the navy plans to spend NT$36 billion on 280 V-BATs. The total procurement cost is estimated at NT$37.2 billion.

According to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense report for fiscal year 2027, the navy’s order will exceed the number of V-BATs Shield AI had sold to the United States and other NATO countries as of 2024 — 250 aircraft at that time. Once deliveries are completed, Taiwan may become the largest operator of these drones outside the United States.

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Reconnaissance for coastal defense

Of the drones planned for the navy, 212 are intended for the Coastal Combat Command and Hsiung Feng anti-ship missile units. The package also includes 140 control systems and 82 ground transport vehicles.

The ministry’s report states that the drones are intended to help preserve operational capabilities if Chinese attacks disrupt Taiwan’s command structure. The navy also cited the use of V-BATs during the war in Ukraine, stating that the aircraft completed 130 successful reconnaissance missions despite strong Russian electronic warfare countermeasures.

At a briefing in Taipei on October 2, Shield AI President and co-founder Brandon Tseng said that the share of Taiwanese-made components in the V-BAT is expected to rise from 16% to 25%. Aerospace Industrial Development Corp will provide logistics, maintenance and training for Taiwan’s drones.