All U.S.-Supplied Altius-600Ms Now in Taiwan's Hands

Taiwan's military has completed full delivery of all procured Altius-600M loitering munitions purchased from the United States, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) stated in a written report submitted to the Legislative Yuan. The disclosure comes as the legislature's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee prepares to review a series of draft special budget bills next week covering asymmetric warfare procurement.

The MND's publicly released summary of U.S. arms sales to Taiwan confirmed that all Altius-600M units have been received. According to the same report, Taiwan expects to receive additional U.S.-supplied military equipment in 2026, including M1A2T tanks, HIMARS rocket systems, a Harpoon coastal defense system, MS-110 reconnaissance pods, and third-generation ground surveillance systems. Switchblade 300 loitering munitions, the Volcano scatterable mine system, airborne assault parachute equipment, and MQ-9B drones are scheduled to begin delivery this year.

The U.S. government approved the sale — covering 720 Switchblade 300 units and up to 291 Altius-600Ms — on June 18, 2024. The first batch of Altius-600Ms was delivered to Taiwan's Army on Aug. 4, 2025, less than 14 months after the sale was announced.

The Altius-600M is a loitering munition equipped with an anti-armor warhead, capable of engaging targets such as armored vehicles at ranges of up to 40 kilometers. The system weighs approximately 12.7 kilograms, features a folding airframe, and is fitted with optical and infrared sensors that allow it to operate in all-weather conditions beyond the operator's line of sight.

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