Joint Taiwan-US attack drone successfully testedBy Yimou Lee / Reuters, TAIPEITaiwan’s military and US-based Kratos Defense have successfully tested a new jet-powered attack drone, a move aimed at rapidly boosting the nation’s ability to field “large numbers” of low-cost drones amid a rising Chinese threat. In a recent test campaign at Kratos’ facility in Oklahoma City, engineers from both sides validated the integration of a Taiwanese mission payload on the Mighty Hornet IV attack drone, Kratos said in a statement on Thursday. Kratos called the test a “milestone” that could pave the way for deeper cooperation between the company and the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology. A Mighty Hornet IV, high-speed attack drone, right, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology and US technology company Kratos, is displayed during the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition in Taipei on Sept. 17 last year. Taipei has been working to secure cheaper, more numerous uncrewed systems that are key to complicating any potential Chinese attack.
