Loitering munition for Taiwan: first Altius-600M from Anduril Industries arrive

Last week Anduril Industries handed over to Taiwan the first tranche of a purpose-built loitering munition: the US-made Altius-600M. Following the handover of the drones, Defence Minister Wellington Koo met in Taipei with Palmer Luckey, who founded the defence company.

The meeting drew particular attention because of ongoing tensions in the Taiwan Strait and Beijing's direct warnings against US arms deliveries to Taiwan. As early as July 2024, China had imposed sanctions on the US company in response to Anduril's involvement in US arms sales. The consequences: visa bans for executives, frozen assets and a ban on all business relations in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

Anduril responded directly at the time: “Apparently we are doing something right. We remain unwaveringly committed to the defence of democracy around the world.”

Beijing warns, Taipei relies on self-defence

China has warned both Washington and Taipei against expanding military ties. Taiwan, by contrast, consistently insists on its right to self-defence and intends to keep building capabilities that could repel, or at least hamper, a large-scale amphibious or air attack. The armed forces are committed to building defence capabilities, Minister Koo stressed, describing them as “asymmetric and resilient”.

Anduril is known for using artificial intelligence and autonomous technologies in the service of national security. Its portfolio includes counter-drone systems, autonomous surveillance platforms and advanced command and control architectures; many of these are currently being considered or already used by the US and its allies.

What the Altius-600M loitering munition can do

With the Altius-600M drone, Taiwan aims to respond quickly and flexibly to potential threats – especially where conventional parity of forces cannot be achieved. The US military uses the drone for strike missions as well as for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). It can engage both moving and fixed targets with precision. Its advantages include portability, long range and a modular payload. How many drones Taiwan has received was not disclosed.