The United States government this week authorized the potential sale of a batch of ALTIUS-600 loitering munitions destined for the Taiwanese military. As usual, the information comes from the corresponding notification sent by the State Department to the US Congress, which details that it is an operation that required an investment of close to 300 million dollars by the Asian country. .
In particular, the Taiwan government had requested a total of 291 ALTIUS 600 loitering munitions equipped with electro-optical and infrared cameras, an unspecified number of units to be used in the training of its operators, pneumatic launch platforms and control systems. To this must be added the logistical support necessary for the absorption of this new material, spare parts, user manuals, training courses and the evaluation of the bases that will house it, among other issues.
As for the main contractor involved in this acquisition, the targeted company must be the North American Anduril, which is located in the state of Georgia. This same group will be in charge of making a total of 12 representatives available to the Taiwan Army, who, added to the 5 from the US government, will carry out the tasks of supporting the installation of the equipment in question over the course of two years. of the necessary training for the troops that will use it.
Regarding the possible sale, the Defense and Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has stated that: “This proposed sale is consistent with US laws and policies expressed in Public Law 96-8 (…) This proposed sale serves the national, economic, and security interests of the United States by supporting the continued efforts of the recipient to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability. “The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and help maintain political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region.”
It should be remembered that ALTIUS-600 loitering munitions can be deployed from widely diverse platforms, such as AC-130J aircraft, UH-60 helicopters and XQ-58 Valkyrie drones. According to the manufacturer’s statements, we are faced with a system with a considerable flight autonomy of more than 4 hours, with an estimated range of 450 kilometers and that has the capacity to carry explosive warheads of up to 27 pounds (about 12 kilos). At the same time, it is important to keep in mind that this type of munitions can be deployed at a swarm level, something that the US Army has already tested in that a single soldier managed to simulate attacks on seven different targets with the same number of ALTIUS-600 systems controlled at the same time.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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