Maritime Tactical Systems (MARTAC) signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan’s NCSIST and Confucian Co. Ltd. during the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) on September 18, 2025. The agreement focuses on joint R&D, marketing, and co-production of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) tailored for Taiwan’s defense needs.
The MoU calls for knowledge exchange, supply chain integration, and competitiveness improvements, while enabling future project-specific agreements. MARTAC CEO Bruce Hanson stated the partnership aligns MARTAC’s USVs with Taiwan’s long-term maritime security strategy. NCSIST President Li Shih-chiang confirmed that the initiative will produce high-performance, autonomous, multi-role USVs equipped with obstacle-avoidance technology.
MARTAC’s portfolio ranges from the compact MANTAS T8 and T12 electric USVs to the high-speed Devil Ray T24 and T38, with payload capacities from 18 kg to over 1,800 kg and burst speeds up to 100+ knots. These vessels can be equipped with EO/IR sensors, sonars, EW payloads, or strike packages, supporting missions from surveillance to interdiction.
This partnership complements Taiwan’s domestic programs, including the Kuai Chi attack USV, now undergoing combat evaluation, and recent procurement of Anduril’s Dive-LD autonomous underwater vehicle and Copperhead mobile mines. Taipei’s defense strategy focuses on distributed, attritable systems that complicate adversary planning.
Integrating MARTAC USVs will enhance Taiwan’s ability to patrol contested waters, maintain persistent ISR coverage, and conduct rapid-response operations. Their modular design and scalability make them well-suited to Taiwan’s asymmetric maritime defense concept, allowing the navy to field swarms or surge capacity without expanding manned fleets proportionally.
