Taiwan turns to US drone boats to track rising mainland Chinese sea activity near island

Taiwan’s coastguard is set to bolster its capabilities in detecting and monitoring mainland China’s expanding naval presence near the island by acquiring US-designed unmanned surface vessels through a new partnership. The deal, involving up to an undisclosed number of Maritime Tactical Systems’ (Martac) Devil Ray T24 autonomous boats, will be produced in both the United States and Taiwan.

Martac described the agreement as "one of the most significant international purchases" of US-made uncrewed surface vessels, while Confucian’s CEO, James Lee, highlighted it as the coastguard’s inaugural unmanned surface vessel programme. The procurement comes in response to a surge in Chinese maritime activity around Taiwan, with coastguard, research, and other government vessels recording record levels of sightings in June, July, and August, according to Taiwanese defence ministry data.

Beijing has also stepped up its coastguard operations east of Taiwan, conducting regular patrols since June and claiming they are routine law enforcement activities. The T24s, each measuring 8.4 meters (27.5 feet) in length and capable of exceeding 50 knots in burst speed, come equipped with various military features, such as electronic warfare, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine reconnaissance.

The co-developed system, alongside aerial drones, is intended for long-range search and reconnaissance, investigation, and remote rescue missions, extending the coastguard’s operational reach.