TSAMTO, September 1. Taiwan signed a contract worth $16.88 billion. tyv. (555 million US dollars), which provides for the purchase of four high-altitude long-duration UAVs (HALE class) MQ-9B "SiGardian" (SeaGuardian) by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI).
According to Taiwan News, a deputy of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced this on August 31 on his Facebook page Wang Ting-yu.
The headquarters of the Taiwan Air Force Command invited a military delegation from the United States to sign an official contract for the supply of four MQ-9B UAVs at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). The contract came into force on August 24 and will be valid until the end of 2029, the first drone will arrive in Taiwan in 2025.
The total cost of the project will eventually amount to 21.7 billion. tyv. (US$ 713 million), including costs for the creation of appropriate infrastructure, construction of new buildings for ground control stations, training, supply of auxiliary equipment.
As previously reported by TSAMTO, in November 2020, the US State Department approved the potential supply of MQ-9B UAVs to Taiwan as part of the "Foreign Military Sales" program through the mediation of the Taipei Representative Office for Economic and Cultural Relations in the United States TECRO (Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States), which can carry weapons, as well as related equipment. The full value of the agreement was estimated at $600 million.
TECRO turned to the US leadership with a request for the possibility of selling four MQ-9B UAVs, two stationary ground control stations, two mobile ground control points, 14 integrated GPS/inertial navigation systems with a SAASM module (12 installed and 2 spare).
The request also included MX-20 multispectral aiming systems with spare parts, SeaVue marine multipurpose radars, Leonardo Group SAGE-750 electronic reconnaissance systems, C-band ground data transmission terminals in the line-of-sight zone, GA-ASI portable SATCOM Ku-band ground stations, transponders of the "friend-foe" state recognition system AN/DPX-7, Honeywell TPE-331-10GD engines, M6000 UHF/VHF band radios, IV-77 Mode 5 cryptographic applications, AN/PYQ-10C simple key loaders, equipment for secure communication, cryptography and identification of "friend or foe", original spare parts and assemblies, suspension points, power supply and data connection for the integration of weapons, auxiliary and test equipment, technical documentation, equipment for training personnel, engineering, technical and logistical support from the contractor and the US government, as well as other related elements of material support and program support.
According to GA-ASI, the SiGardian is a UAV with a wingspan of 24 m, a length of 11.7 m and a maximum take-off weight of 5670 kg. The device is equipped with a TPE331-10 engine, can carry 2721 kg of fuel and 2155 kg of payload, including 363 kg in the inner compartment. The device is equipped with 9 suspension points, can stay in the air for about 35 hours, operate at altitudes up to 40 thousand feet, reach a speed of 200 knots, fly at a range of up to 5,500 nautical miles.
Recall that in 2008, the Taiwanese Air Force had already sent a request to the American administration for the purchase of four MQ-1 Predator reconnaissance UAV complexes. However, then the American side imposed restrictions on key weapons for Taiwan. In particular, these vehicles were subject to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) under the item "MTCR Class 1" – a ready-made missile system or drone capable of carrying a payload weighing at least 500 kg at a range of at least 300 km.
