TADTE
TADTE is a biennal exhibition organized by TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council), Taiwan’s foremost nonprofit trade-promoting organization. TADTE has been held for about 2 decades, and it is the only professional exhibition of the aerospace and defense industry in Taiwan, in which iconic domestic and international companies showcase their products, technology, and solutions. It is also an important event for the Taiwanese government to present the achievement of the military’s equipment and technology development programs to the general public.
Here are some of the unmanned naval systems presented by local and international private companies as well as the Taiwanese government:
Thunder Tiger SEASHARK 400 USV
Thunder Tiger Seashark 400 is an Autonomous Surface Vehicle.
It is designed for defense and security operations in the different fields of surface warfare. The ship has advanced navigation and propulsion systems and an array of sensors. Its payload can be customized for specific mission requirements. It is ideally suited for surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay missions. The Seashark 400 offers flexibility, it can be deployed remotely or fully autonomously and is adaptable to various maritime missions.
According to a company representative “Following the war in Ukraine, Kamikaze missions could be considered”. The project is being developed for Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense primarily, but may be exported in the future.
Here are the key features of the Seashark 400:
- Length: 3840 mm
- Max speed: 43 knots (80 km/h)
- Multi-mission capabilities
- Manned/unmanned modes of operation
- Low risk operations
- Reduces naval procurement and operating costs
- Transportable
Thunder Tiger SEAWOLF 400 UUV
Thunder Tiger Seawolf 400 is an autonomous underwater vehicle.
The MINI Cooper-sized submarine (length: 4000 mm, weight: 1000 kg) is designed for various civil and military missions, from surveillance and combat to support of environmental protection and scientific exploration. Its operational depth under water is up to 200 m. A prototype is currently under testing. As for the USV, this UUV is being developed for Taiwan’s MND.
Here are the key features of Seawolf 400:
- Length: 4000 mm
- Weight:1000 kg (2204.6 1b)
- Critical Infrastructure Protection
- Underwater Anti-Mine
- Search and rescue operations
- Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR)
- Harbor / Coastal Surveillance and Protection
ALSEAMAR SEAEXPLORER Underwater glider
ALSEAMAR SEA EXPLORER the underwater glider is a powerful autonomous sensor platform designed to collect data column profiles with very large spatial and temporal coverage. It has a range of up to 1700 km, an endurance of 100 days, a maximum speed of 1kt, and an operating depth of up to 1000 m.
SEA EXPLORER is powered by buoyancy and is able to glide up and down in the water column collecting physical, chemical, biological and/or acoustic data, depending on the built-in sensors (up to 6 sensors in two sections (wet & dry): 9L / 8kg).
The SEA EXPLORER glider is a very cost-effective solution for data collection because it reduces dependence on large vessels with high daily operating costs. No surface monitoring boat is required during deployment. It is also easy to operate and can be launched and retrieved by a small crew in coastal waters with small boats.
Here are some specifications of SEA EXPLORER:
- 0.25m × 2m Body Size
- 1m foldable antenna
- Wingspan 56.5cm Wingless design
- Weight 59kg in air
NMOO and AiTRIX Sea Scout Glider
The Naval Meteorological and Oceanographic Office (NMOO) of the Taiwanese Navy (ROC Navy) applied for research funds from the National Defense Development Foundation and contracted AiTRIX (Guan Hung Technology LTD) to develop underwater gliders to collect hydrological information, as this information is critical to the Navy in selecting sonar modes and tactical missions in the field. The development of Sea Scout began in 2017.
According to AiTRIX and NMOO, Sea Scout successfully completed its first fully autonomous dive in 2021 and later made numerous autonomous deep-sea voyages. Sea Scout will be delivered to NMOO in 2023 and will become a new force in the Taiwan Navy’s reconnaissance equipment.
Here are some specifications and features of Sea Scout:
- 214 cm length, 100 cm width, 40 cm height
- 100 cm wingspan
- 58 cm antenna mast
- 44kg dry weight
- 90-180 days endurance
- 50-1200 meters operating depth (NMOO information: up to 500 m)
- 95% made in Taiwan, cost-effective
Shield AI V-BAT UAV
V- BAT is designed for takeoff and recovery independent of runway and equipment in difficult environments without external support. It can be transported by truck and assembled by 2 people in less than 20 minutes, making it a true expeditionary system built for dynamic movement and fluid mission operations. V- BAT can be used for missions such as border security, drug hunting and threat detection.
V-BAT’s design and controls enable takeoffs and landings in high winds, on crowded flight decks, and aboard moving ships with landing zones as small as 4 x 4 meters. The drone has a wingspan of 2.96 m, a length of 2.74 m and a weight of 57 kg (including fuel and payload). The cruising speed is 97 km/h and the sprint speed is 158 km/h. Flight duration is 10 hours with 4.54 kg payload.
According to Shield AI, V- BAT can hover for up to 45 minutes, requires less than 15 seconds to transition from hover to flight, and its service ceiling is 20,000 feet MSL. All of these maximum specifications are dependent on environmental factors and aircraft configurations.
