The first batch of MQ-9B Sky Guardian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) ordered from the United States will arrive in Taiwan in 2026. The remaining two will be delivered in 2027, according to the U.S. Air Force on Tuesday.
In an email to Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) on Tuesday, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said the total price is approximately US$467 million (NT$14.843 billion).
The U.S. agreed to the sale in November 2020 and announced in May last year that the contract was awarded to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. The contract includes four UAVs, two ground control systems, parts, and other equipment, expected to be completed by May 2025.
Eric Gomez, a senior researcher at the Cato Institute in Washington, says the MQ-9B’s purchased by Taiwan will be fitted with maritime surveillance and positioning systems, as indicated by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency. He says it is speculated that Taiwan is buying the maritime variant of the Sky Guardian, known as the Sea Guardian.
Gomez told CNA that the MQ-9B's endurance and high-altitude operation make it ideal for wide-ranging intelligence surveillance. He says their use in peacetime reconnaissance could lessen dependence on fighter jets for monitoring activities around Taiwan, bolstering Taiwan's UAV operational expertise and cost-effective asymmetric warfare capability. Gomez adds that although the MQ-9B can be equipped with various weapon systems, it is not stealthy and is easily detected and shot down at high altitudes meaning its survivability is weaker in conflict scenarios.