Military Trains on US-Made Altius-600M Attack Drones
Taiwan’s armed forces are training with newly acquired US-made Altius-600M loitering munitions, often referred to as suicide drones, looking to bolster the country's broader asymmetric defense strategy.
Military Drones
REPORTER:
Hundreds of kilometers of range. Hours of flight time. These are the basic specifications for Anduril’s Altius-600M drone platform that Taiwan’s military is training soldiers to use.
Lu Yi-ting (MILITARY INSTRUCTOR):
After receiving the [drones] we began to carry out training. The program is about two weeks, 10 days. It’s an intensive course. Just like using a tablet you design a flight path and mission and write out an attack plan
REPORTER:
The first batch of US-made Altius drones arrived in Taiwan last August, with training on these loitering munitions starting in December. Loitering munitions are suicide drones that stay in an area until identifying a target and diving down to hit it. Altius’ website also lists other uses like reconnaissance, electronic warfare and more.
Lu Yi-ting (MILITARY INSTRUCTOR):
The first drone can be used for reconnaissance to provide information for a second or third to execute subsequent attacks. Examples could include attacking enemy command posts, communication facilities or radar stations, high-value enemy installations that are lightly protected.
REPORTER:
The drones are a sign of growing investment in autonomous weapons platforms, a key pillar of Taiwan’s asymmetric defense strategy. But it has not all been smooth sailing.
REPORTER:
Local media reports from earlier in February suggested the drones’ performance was “below expectations,” which the defense ministry rejected. And the first batch of the 600M drones was just 291 units, far short of the thousands that the military has publicly said is necessary. President Lai Ching-te's proposed special defense fund has earmarked billions of dollars for more drones but that bill remains stalled in the legislature.
REPORTER:
Drawing on lessons from the war in Ukraine, drones like the Altius 600M are expected to be an important part of Taiwan’s security strategy and planning.
