TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Navy is interested in procuring JUMP 20 vertical takeoff and landing drones from the US, reports said Thursday.

The Coast Guard Administration has been deploying unmanned aerial vehicles manufactured by AeroVironment, Inc., based in Arlington, Virginia, since 2022. Taiwan is the only country apart from the US and Ukraine using the JUMP 20 model.

However, the drones for the Navy would be an upgraded version, the Liberty Times reported. The JUMP 20 can operate independently for 14 hours, and has a range of 185 kilometers.

As a vertical takeoff and landing drone, it does not need a runway, making it suitable for use at sea on Navy vessels. The system can be set up for launch within an hour, and can carry loads of up to 13 kilograms, the company said.

The Ministry of National Defense identified uncrewed aerial vehicles as an important development goal in the fight against threats from China. Drones can provide vital information about the movements of ships in the waters around Taiwan, according to defense experts.