By KHT Staff
KAOHSIUNG — Kaohsiung-based shipbuilder Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Group (中信造船集團) is urging lawmakers to pass the proposed defense special budget, saying it would help support Taiwan’s domestic defense industry, including the development of unmanned vessels.
The Liberty Times reports that the special budget bill, reportedly covering NT$1.25 trillion in defense spending, could go to a vote in the Legislative Yuan as early as Friday. The package includes several domestically produced defense items, among them unmanned surface vessels. Industry officials warn that if the measure stalls, it could disrupt technology transfer and procurement of materials.
Jong Shyn, which has developed the military-grade smart unmanned vessel Jong Shyn No. 5 (中信五號), said passage of the defense package would benefit industrial development. According to the company’s website, the vessel is designed for four main tactical roles: offensive operations, escort missions, patrol and reconnaissance, and use as a communications platform in combat.
The company says the vessel can operate either alone or in coordinated groups and could be adapted into different modular versions for a range of missions. It describes the platform as part of a broader push toward smarter naval operations.
However, the Jong Shyn No. 5 is not one of the military’s so-called one-way, or suicide, drones. Instead, it is currently positioned as a multipurpose platform and is open to academic testing by colleges and universities.
Basic specifications released by the company show the vessel is 16.5 meters long, 3.8 meters wide, and 3.8 meters high, with a full-load displacement of 20 tons and a draft of about 1 meter. It can travel at more than 30 knots and has a range of more than 300 nautical miles with 1,300 liters of fuel.
