TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Pentagon on Tuesday (March 12) said it is selling four MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones to Taiwan.
Under the U.S. Department of Defense's list of contracts it said that General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. was on Monday (March 11) given a contract to produce four MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for Taiwan. This confirms announcements of the sale made by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) in May 2023.
In addition to the four UAVs, the weapons sale also includes two ground control stations, spares, and support equipment. The manufacturing will take place in Poway, California.
However, the price tag has risen from US$217 million (NT$6.8 billion) in 2023 to US$250 million. Also, the projected date of completion of the project has been postponed by more than two years from an original estimated date of May 5, 2025, to a new completion date of Aug. 11, 2027.
The drone can fly for more than 40 hours via satellite in all kinds of weather, according to the GA-ASI website. The MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAV can also be configured to support electronic warfare and airborne early warning, as well as perform anti-submarine warfare missions.
An official told Liberty Times in December that the four U.S. MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones will be responsible for high-altitude reconnaissance, while Taiwan's indigenous Tengyun 2 (騰雲二型, Cloud Rider 2) drones will handle medium- and low-altitude missions. With all-weather combat capabilities, these drones will reportedly provide increased flexibility in mission execution.