Taiwan’s Mighty Hornet IV draws global interest at US drone expo

台灣的「勁蜂（Mighty Hornet IV）」無人機在美國無人機展上吸引全球關注

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Mighty Hornet IV drone is on display at the three-day Xpontential, a global unmanned systems exhibition.

The project is in collaboration with the National Chung Shan Institute for Science and Technology and US defense contractor Kratos. Several foreign companies have approached NCSIST about potential cooperation in producing its drones in the US and Europe, Liberty Times reported.

Observers at the exhibition said that future Taiwan-US cooperation is no longer limited to a single unmanned attack platform, per Liberty Times.

It is evolving toward AI-enabled autonomous engagement, long-range strike capability, multi-role functionality, and low-cost mass production concepts to create combat-capable autonomous strike vehicles, they said, according to Liberty Times. This indicates that bilateral drone cooperation is moving toward a deeper, long-term strategic partnership.

The Mighty Hornet IV is based on Kratos’ MQM-178 Firejet target drone platform and integrated with NCSIST-developed precision guidance and anti-jamming technologies, Liberty Times said. The drone is capable of speeds up to Mach 0.8 and possesses high-G maneuverability.

It also has a modular assembly design and can adapt to different mission requirements. The drone has already passed live-fire testing in the US and will soon be used in live-fire exercises.