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Taiwan's Air Force Eyes Domestic Teng Yun 2 Drone for Electronic Warfare Role

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Taiwan's Air Force is considering procuring the domestically developed Teng Yun 2 drone, potentially complementing U.S.-acquired MQ-9B drones.
  • The Teng Yun 2, an upgraded version of its predecessor, aims to improve payload, endurance, and flight performance for long-range reconnaissance and intelligence missions.
  • Development is focusing on an electronic warfare variant, recognizing the growing importance of such capabilities in modern conflict.

Taiwan's Air Force is evaluating a new procurement plan for the domestically manufactured Teng Yun 2 drone, following successful operational testing. This move could lead to a "high-low" combat configuration, pairing the Taiwanese drone with four MQ-9B drones to be acquired from the United States. The Teng Yun 2, an evolution of the earlier Teng Yun 1, is designed as a large, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle. Modifications to its power system have addressed earlier limitations in payload, flight time, and performance, bringing its capabilities closer to meeting the Air Force's mission requirements.

While the Air Force had previously considered integrating the Teng Yun 2 with the MQ-9B, the procurement plan was not advanced at the time. However, recent improvements and testing have reportedly made the Teng Yun 2's performance more suitable for military needs, prompting the current re-evaluation. If the plan proceeds, the drone could be deployed for extended surveillance and intelligence gathering missions around Taiwan, working in tandem with the MQ-9B drones expected for delivery between this year and next.

The Air Force is currently re-evaluating a procurement plan for the Teng Yun 2 drone.

— informed sourceAn informed source stated that the Air Force is considering a new procurement plan for the Teng Yun 2 drone.

The specific number of Teng Yun 2 drones to be procured, the budget, and the timeline remain undecided as the Air Force continues its planning. Beyond its surveillance capabilities, there is significant interest in developing an armed version of the Teng Yun 2. Drawing lessons from the use of drones and electronic warfare systems in conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war and recent U.S.-Iran tensions, the importance of large unmanned platforms equipped for electronic warfare is increasingly recognized. Consequently, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology is actively developing an electronic warfare variant of the Teng Yun 2, aiming to equip it for such specialized missions.

The electronic warfare variant is expected to be the focus of future development.

— informed sourceAn informed source indicated that the electronic warfare version of the Teng Yun 2 drone will be a key area for future development.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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