The Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan has unveiled the newly developed "Red Sparrow III" drone, which features vertical takeoff and landing capabilities and flight attitude switching ability. It is equipped with an electro-optical reconnaissance instrument that can effectively track targets, enhancing battlefield reconnaissance effectiveness.
The Taiwan Military News Agency on the 3rd released a flight video of the modified "Red Sparrow III" drone, showing that the aircraft can achieve vertical takeoff via downward rotors, and after ascending, switches the rotors to be parallel to the ground for a horizontal cruising mode similar to a fixed-wing aircraft. Its onboard electro-optical reconnaissance instrument can lock onto and monitor distant targets during flight. Once the mission is completed, the drone adjusts the rotor angles again to achieve a vertical landing.
Currently, this drone is pending orders from various branches of the Taiwanese military. In March this year, the Chung-Shan Institute announced that the "Red Sparrow III" drone's power system, communication power integration, and ground control tablet technologies are available for Taiwanese manufacturers to inquire about potential technology transfers or production licenses.
The institute also simultaneously revealed a new "tube-launched foldable attack drone," designed specifically for hunting enemy commanders, high-threat weapon operators, and other high-value targets. This drone is operated by a user who plans a navigation route based on enemy intelligence on a tablet device and uploads it to the drone system. The drone is then launched from a storage tube using high-pressure gas, unfolding its wings quickly after exiting the tube and utilizing an electric motor to drive the propeller to ascend to the predetermined altitude to execute its mission.
The Chung-Shan Institute emphasized that this class of attack drones, featuring artificial intelligence for automatic recognition and tracking, anti-jamming, and powerful destructiveness, will become a crucial option in Taiwan's joint defense operations system.