Taiwan Makes “Landmark” Purchase of American-Made Unmanned Surface Vessels

By The Maritime Executive 2026-10-13 17:24:30

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration has agreed to buy autonomous surface vessels from the American boatbuilder Maritime Tactical Systems (MARTAC), maker of the Devil Ray T24, a 28-foot unmanned boat that can hit 50 knots. It has seen action with U.S. forces in a variety of roles for years. 

According to MARTAC, Taiwan's purchase is one of the most important foreign sales deals for a U.S. manufacturer of USVs on record. The deal began with an agreement that MARTAC made with Taiwan's state-owned defense R&D institute back in 2025. Under the terms, the T24s for Taiwan will be built in two locations: by MARTAC at its facility in Florida and by a local partner, Confucian Co., in Taiwan. The localization model gives Taiwan an opportunity to build its own domestic capabilities, and was key to getting government buy-in, Confucian said in a statement.

The scale of the acquisition was not disclosed, but MARTAC has described it as significant for both the company and for USVs as a technology.  

“This pursuit by the Taiwan Coast Guard represents a landmark moment for MARTAC and for the adoption of unmanned surface vessels in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Seamus Flatley, Chief Growth Officer of MARTAC. 

Notably, Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration is a civilian law enforcement bureau with a civilian parent agency, the Ocean Affairs Council; it is not part of the formal Taiwanese military. The Trump administration has yet to approve a pending $14 billion military sales package for Taiwan, which is politically sensitive for China and for the U.S.-China trade relationship.