Taiwan Develops Stealthy Attack Drone Boat

Inspired by Ukraine's success with unmanned drone boats in the Black Sea, Taiwan has built an unmanned attack boat of its own, with modifications.

The new "Endeavor Manta" drone is a fiberglass-hull trimaran measuring 28 feet long. In its prototype configuration, it is powered by two outboard motors, an unusual but economical choice for a military vessel. It displaces about five tonnes with weapons loadout and fuel, and it can make more than 35 knots, according to manufacturer CSBC. Its small size and light weight make it possible to launch from small ports or even unimproved beaches, making deployments harder to interdict.

Ukraine's drone boats are smaller monohull designs with inboard propulsion. Initially they were one-way attack drones only, designed to deliver an explosive warhead directly to the hull of a target ship and detonate by ramming. They have gradually evolved to include reusable variants that carry FPV drone aircraft and antiaircraft missiles, among other payloads.

The Taiwanese design is expected to carry and use lightweight torpedoes, allowing it to make more than one attack run in a surface warfare role. It is equipped for ramming and detonation as well.

In initial configuration, the Manta has a cockpit for a human crewmember; it is unknown whether this would be removed for the final version. According to CSBC, it is capable of autonomous navigation, and will be able to return to port on its own if its command-and-control connectivity is interrupted.

The prototype aligns with U.S. war planning for a Taiwan Strait conflict: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Sam Paparo has called for building the technology for a "hellscape" of unmanned systems in the strait, which could fend off a Chinese invasion force long enough for a conventional response.