U.S. Altius Attack Drones Rejected by Ukraine Sold to Taiwan: Electronic Warfare Vulnerabilities Remain

The Republic of China Armed Forces based on Taiwan are significantly expanding its inventory of Anduril Industries’ Altius unmanned systems, with the Republic of China Ministry of National Defense announcing a procurement of more than 2,000 additional drones. The acquisition comes amid continuing questions over the performance of some Anduril systems in Ukraine, following reports that the aircraft performed poorly against Russian forces and proved vulnerable to electronic warfare. The latest $852.7 million procurement covers 1,554 Altius-700M anti-armour attack drones and 478 Altius-600 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones. 

The Republic of China Armed Forces have already received 291 Altius-600M one-way attack drones. According to the Ministry of National Defense, deliveries began in August 2025 and were completed in March 2026. The system has an advertised effective range of approximately 160 kilometres and can be employed for reconnaissance or attack missions. The scale of these procurements make the Altius family one of the more prominent American unmanned systems being introduced into service in China. The Altius-600M is intended primarily as an expendable weapon, with the Armed Forces describing the aircraft as ammunition rather than as a conventional reusable aircraft. The larger Altius-700M is intended to provide a longer-range attack capability, including against armoured targets. 

Anduril’s record in Ukraine has generated scrutiny. Reuters reported in November 2025 that the company’s Altius systems had encountered problems in testing, while people familiar with their use in Ukraine said an early model struggled against Russian electronic warfare. According to four people cited by Reuters, Russian jamming of satellite navigation and difficulties accounting for terrain interfered with flight plans. Anduril has nevertheless rejected the broader characterisation that its systems have been ineffective in Ukraine. The firm has acknowledged that its systems have encountered failures during testing, but argues that such incidents are an inherent part of rapidly developing military technology. 

The procurement of drones from Anduril has encountered a significant logistical complication. Reports in September revealed that the initial delivery of 291 Altius-600M drones did not include the chargers required to recharge their batteries. The issue arose because the original charging equipment contained components were manufactured in mainland China, which is part of the People’s Republic of China with which the Taiwan-based Republic of China government is in a state of civil war. Efforts have thus been made to establish an alternative supply chain, with this raising costs considerably. Although the Republic of China lacks international recognition, the United States has made extensive transfers of armaments in order to strengthen its capabilities against the Chinese mainland as a means to gain an advantage in the ongoing Sino-U.S. Cold War.

In August 2025 Anduril Industries signed a memorandum of understanding for direct collaboration with the Republic of China’s top defence research institute the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). This covered cooperation in areas that include autonomous systems and the Lattice AI-enabled command and control platform, and is expected to provide the Republic of China Armed Forces with special access to a number of U.S. defence technologies. An informed source stressed regarding the agreement that “It’s not just about importing tech. It’s about changing the way we build, test, and deploy defence capabilities. OTA enables the kind of speed and flexibility needed in modern conflict.” Anduril Industries was founded in 2017 by multiple former defence officials, and focuses on the development of artificial intelligence and robotics for the Pentagon.