Taiwan buys US drone boats to monitor Chinese maritime activity

Key facts

• Taiwan is acquiring US-designed uncrewed surface vessels to monitor Chinese maritime activity.
• The Devil Ray T24 autonomous boats are supplied by Florida-based Maritime Tactical Systems.
• Production of the drone boats is planned for both the United States and Taiwan.
• Taiwan has begun flight testing its first two MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAVs.
• The MQ-9B drones are intended to expand surveillance coverage over maritime areas surrounding Taiwan.

Taiwan is bolstering its maritime surveillance capabilities by acquiring US-designed uncrewed surface vessels to monitor the increasing presence of Chinese vessels around the island. Florida-based Maritime Tactical Systems announced on Tuesday that it will supply an undisclosed number of its Devil Ray T24 autonomous boats, with production slated for both the United States and Taiwan.

In parallel, Taiwan has begun flight testing its first two MQ-9B SkyGuardian unmanned aerial vehicles at Hualien Air Force Base. These drones are part of a larger procurement of four aircraft costing NT$21.7 billion, with the remaining two expected in 2027. The MQ-9Bs are designed for long endurance and beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications, equipped with electro-optical and infrared sensors, and radar payload options. Their deployment aims to expand Taiwan's persistent maritime surveillance capacity and improve tracking of Chinese naval and coast guard activity. Operating from Taiwan's eastern coast, these aircraft are expected to support sustained intelligence collection over the Philippine Sea and surrounding maritime approaches, feeding data into command and targeting networks. The MQ-9B platform has a wingspan of approximately 24 meters and can operate above 40,000 feet, with variants capable of integrating surface-search sensors and Automatic Identification System equipment for vessel identification. While possessing a strike capability, Taiwanese officials emphasize intelligence and surveillance as primary missions.