TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has officially signed a procurement contract with the U.S. to purchase four MQ-9B SeaGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for NT$16.88 billion (US$555 million).
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇) on his Facebook page at 9:37 a.m. on Wednesday (Aug. 31) announced that after intensive discussions between the two countries, the Ministry of Defense’s latest procurement award announcement states that the Air Force Command Headquarters invited a military delegation from the U.S. to sign a formal procurement contract for four MQ-9B SeaGuardian UAVs at the American Institute in Taiwan.
The contract went into effect on Aug. 24 and will continue to the end of 2029, with the first drone to arrive in Taiwan in 2025. The NT$16.88 billion price tag includes four SeaGardian UAVs and ground control station-related equipment and support systems.
The location listed in the contract where the drones will be stationed is Hualien County. The total cost for the drones will eventually come to NT$21.7 billion with the remaining costs coming from the construction of related systems in Taiwan, new buildings for ground control stations, support equipment education and training, and procurement operations.
Wang also cited Defense International magazine news editor Chen Kuo-ming (陳國銘) as saying that the Teng Yun 2 “Cloud Rider,” which was developed by Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), has been upgraded by replacing its engines, adding antennas, and adding landing gear to improve flight performance. It already has long-range capabilities and in the future, further breakthroughs are needed in optical guidance, command and control, and other functions.