TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 中科院) on Tuesday (March 14) unveiled a drone which can be carried in a backpack and explodes a warhead when crashing into its target.
The weapon was compared to the United States-made AeroVironment Switchblade supplied to Ukraine, and described as a large grenade, the Liberty Times reported.
The new Taiwan-developed drone is also launched from a tube and can reach a target up to 10 kilometers away, the NCSIST said at a news conference Tuesday. The targets could be high-value individuals or vehicles, including ships close to the shore, according to the report.
The military-run NCSIST showed 10 drones at Tuesday’s event, including the Albatross I already in production, and prototypes of the Albatross II and the Cardinal III still under development.
Like the U.S. Switchblade, the latest Taiwan-made unmanned aerial vehicle has wings that flip out once the projectile has left its launch tube. The weapon can be remote-controlled by the operator and destroyed if the target disappears or moves to a crowded location.
