Taiwan Secures First U.S.-Made Altius-600M Combat Drones
(MENAFN) Taiwan has officially received its first shipment of Altius-600M attack drones from the United States, Defense Minister Wellington Koo confirmed late Tuesday.
According to the Defense Ministry, Koo met with Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril Industries—the company behind the drones—and expressed gratitude for the prompt delivery.
"This project, initiated last year, achieved rapid delivery of the first batch this year," said the minister, according to a joint statement.
Koo stressed that, given the current "severe threat environment," Taiwan’s military remains focused on acquiring both surveillance and attack drones to support ongoing defense operations.
The Altius-600M drone, which can be launched from land, air, and sea platforms, offers advanced capabilities including up to four hours of flight time and a range of 440 kilometers (273 miles). It can conduct battlefield reconnaissance, serve as a communications relay, withstand electronic warfare, and deploy high-explosive anti-tank munitions.
Last month, media reported that Taiwan’s military intends to acquire approximately 50,000 drones over the next two years as part of an ambitious modernization effort.
On Tuesday, Taiwanese President William Lai Ching-te stated that the island’s defense budget will surpass 3% of its $815 billion GDP to strengthen self-defense capabilities.
Lai’s announcement coincides with a recent US Congressional Research Service report, which revealed that the U.S. executive branch has notified Congress of more than $28 billion in arms sales to Taiwan between 2015 and 2025.
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