Taiwan to procure and locally produce 160 Jackal UCAVs

The Jackal UCAV from Flyby Technoligies during test-firing of Thales LMM in 2022. Photo c/o UK Government.

The Republic of China Army (RoCA) and Republic of China Marine Corps (RoCMC) is scheduled to receive a total of 160 new Jackal unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) starting 2024 as part of an agreement between Taiwanese and British companies.

As part of a pre-sale agreement signed by UK’s Flyby Technology and Taiwan’s GEOSAT Aerospace Technology at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition 2023 (TATDE 2023), a transfer of technology will be made by the former to allow the local construction of 160 of their Jackal UCAV starting in early 2024.

Taiwan will be the launch customer of the new Jackal UCAV, which was developed by Flyby Technology in collaboration with Turkey’s Fly BVLOS Technology, which will be used by the RoCA and RoCMC for combat operations including air interdiction, close air support, anti-armor, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and other purposes.

The Jackal UCAV is a modular vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft will be equipped with two short-range air-to-ground missiles, although the exact missile model to be used is yet to be finalised.

Currently the UCAV is propelled by rotors and electric ducted fans powered by batteries, but improvements are underway to use turbogenerators to allow an increase in maximum take-off weight from 105 kilograms to 155 kilograms. This would allow a wider range of weapons and sensors to be integrated with the aircraft.

On October 2022, Flyby Technology has demonstrated the Jackal UCAV’s capability to carry and fire the Thales Light Mulitrole Missile (LMM) under commission by the UK Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office, although other lightweight rockets or missiles including Taiwanese-made models could be integrated as well.




[1] Janes
[2]  Flight Global
[3] Defense Here