Taiwan Develops U.S.’ Switchblade-like Kamikaze Drone

Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) has developed a new small-sized kamikaze drone, comparable to the U.S.-made Switchblade.

Local newspaper Liberty Times reported that this new drone can be carried in a backpack and explodes a warhead when crashing into its target.

Like the Switchblade, the latest Taiwan-made UAV has wings that flip out once the projectile has left its launch tube. The weapon can be remote-controlled by the operator and destroyed if the target disappears or moves to a crowded location.

This drone can also be launched from a tube and can hit targets up to 10km away. The targets could be high-value individuals or vehicles, including ships close to the shore.

At an event Tuesday, the military-run NCSIST showed 10 drones, including the Albatross I already in production, and prototypes of the Albatross II and the Cardinal III still under development.