The Taiwanese Navy has initiated a $1.135 billion procurement program running from 2026 through 2029 to acquire 280 U.S.-made Shield AI V-BAT vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aerial vehicles, alongside 140 control systems and 82 transport vehicles. The acquisition establishes runway-independent reconnaissance and targeting capabilities across surface warfare groups and littoral combat units, removing total reliance on fixed radar sites and shore-based aviation assets.
The V-BAT Block 5.3 platform features a 33-horsepower heavy-fuel engine compatible with JP-5 naval fuel, an 18.1 kg payload capacity, and an endurance exceeding 12 hours. Operating with Hivemind autonomy for GNSS-denied navigation, the system provides wide-area maritime search via ViDAR and supports mesh radio and satellite communication links. The procurement supplies a distribution ratio of two aircraft per control system, allowing mobile detachments to operate from ship decks or small cleared land sites without runways, Liberty Times reported this.
Concurrent with the V-BAT program, the Taiwanese Navy is allocating funding for 32 domestic NCSIST Albatross II unmanned aerial vehicles under a combined $1.665 billion unmanned aircraft investment through 2029. Deliveries for the V-BAT fleet are scheduled across four phases, reaching over 50 percent fleet integration by the end of 2027 to reinforce littoral defense architecture.
