• 04 Nov 2023 12:01 AM
• 0

Taiwan to Produce the Jackal

GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology, a Taiwanese drone manufacturer, has partnered with the UK’s FlyBy Technology to produce a version of the Jackal, an armed electric VTOL drone, in Taiwan. The two companies made the announcement on Sept. 15 at the 2023 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE). GEOSAT will produce 160 units of the Jackal for Taiwan’s armed forces; deliveries are expected to begin in early 2024. The all-electric Jackal features four wing-mounted ducted fans and four sets of twin contra-rotating propellers; some versions tested have had two or six ducted fans, while others have outer wing extension. Originally developed by Turkey’s Fly BVLOS Technology and Maxwell Innovations, FlyBy Technology and Thales worked to integrate an armed capability on the Jackal. In a six-week trial campaign sponsored by the UK’s Royal Air Force in spring 2023, the two companies test fired the Thales Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) from the Jackal.