Taiwan Navy Budgets for 32 Albatross II and 280 V-BAT Drones

The Republic of China Navy has allocated funding to procure 32 indigenous Albatross II unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and 280 foreign-sourced V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAVs, according to defense budget documentation submitted to the Legislative Yuan on August 31, 2026. The procurement programs, previously classified under confidential budget items in the prior fiscal year, have now been declassified in the public defense budget.

For the Albatross II program, designated as the second-generation maritime tactical UAV surveillance system, the Navy has budgeted NT$16.789 billion (approximately US$525 million) spanning fiscal years 2026 through 2029. The procurement package covers 32 UAV airframes, 8 ground control stations, and 48 transport vehicles. Developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), the Albatross II features a multi-payload capacity capable of deploying sonar buoys or Chien Hsiang attack drones, boasting an endurance of 16 hours and a control range exceeding 300 kilometers.

Simultaneously, the Navy has budgeted NT$36 billion over the same four-year period from fiscal 2026 to 2029 to acquire 280 shipborne V-BAT VTOL UAVs, 140 control systems, and 82 transport vehicles. Designed and manufactured by U.S. defense technology firm Shield AI, the V-BAT employs a single-engine ducted-fan configuration allowing vertical takeoff and landing on ship decks or confined spaces before transitioning to horizontal cruise. It is engineered to operate autonomously in environments where GPS or communications signals are heavily jammed.

The Navy stated that acquiring these tactical unmanned aerial assets will enhance deep-sea battlefield transparency, improve maritime search and target identification, and reinforce command-and-control resilience during initial operational phases. In addition to the aerial systems, the Navy has separately budgeted approximately NT$23.7 billion between fiscal 2027 and 2033 to construct 12 underwater unmanned vehicles, with preliminary design work scheduled to begin next year.