The Taiwanese army made the decision to equip itself not just with Flyingfish bomber armaments from JC Tech but also with homegrown Bayraktar substitutes. An improved version of the Albatross strike drone is being developed by Geosat Aerospace & Technology.
What We Know, So Far
The Turkish Bayraktar TB2 drone’s Taiwanese counterpart is called the Albatross. Its length is 5.3 metres, its wingspan is 8.6 metres, and its payload capacity is 55 kilogrammes. Its maximum flight altitude is 4 km, its maximum range is 150 km, and its working time is 12 hours.
The goal of Geosat Aerospace & Technology is to make the drone better. The improved model will be known as Albatross II. Radars will be updated to offer surveillance over a greater area. The 250 kilometre flight range will be enhanced.
The unmanned aerial vehicle’s fighting capability will see the most development, though. Taiwanese air-to-air missiles will be capable of being carried by the Albatross II. The drone will support hypersonic Sky Word II (Tien Chien II) missiles, according to the CEO of Geosat Aerospace & Technology, according to a Taipei Times source. They have a maximum speed of 6 Mach (7,400 km/h). But because one of these missiles weights more than 180 kg in this instance, the company will need to triple the payload. For 2023, serial production is planned.
