Saronic positioned to support Taiwan's unmanned maritime requirements

Taiwan's NCSIST will explore application of Saronic's Corsair USV (pictured) to support defence requirements. (Saronic)

Texas-based unmanned surface vehicle (USV) manufacturer Saronic Technologies is prepared to demonstrate its products to support the requirements of the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND).

A company spokesperson told Janes in mid-May that Saronic “is ready to showcase its capabilities” for Taiwan's defence requirements, under a recent memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the MND's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST).

Under the MoU – signed in April - Saronic and NCSIST will identify opportunities to collaborate across a range of technologies and applications, with a primary focus on the development and advancement of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled command-and-control (C2) software and broader systems integration for USVs, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson added that the MoU establishes a framework to explore application of Saronic's USVs, including the Corsair USV, to support Taiwan's mission needs across the defence and commercial sectors.

According to company specifications, the 7.3 m long Corsair has a range of 1000 n miles, a top speed of 35 kt, and a payload capacity of around 453 kg. Saronic also offers larger USVs with greater payload capacities including the 15.8 m long Mirage, and the 54.8 m long Marauder.

These USVs can be controlled by Saronic's Echelon C2 system, which can task individual USVs and swarms for missions, use overlays like bathymetry and traffic lanes to inform real-time planning, and provide real-time video and telemetry to customers for situational awareness.