Taiwan to Use U.S. DIVE-LD Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

The report details the application of the US military's Anduril Industries DIVE-LD unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in the Strait of Hormuz and around Taiwan. Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology received the system in August to prevent the sabotage of submarine cables. Subsequently, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced on September 8 that it had captured a US UUV of the same model, to which the US Central Command responded that the device had previously malfunctioned and carried no sensitive data. The article also outlines the technical parameters of the UUV and the background of US-Taiwan cooperation.

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The US military uses Anduril Industries' DIVE-LD UUV in the Strait of Hormuz for unmanned maritime surveillance, seabed mapping, and anti-mine warfare, and this UUV is also being deployed in the waters surrounding Taiwan.

According to Taiwanese media reports, Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology received the DIVE-LD UUV system from US-based Anduril Industries this August, initially applying it to submarine cable inspection capabilities to prevent deliberate sabotage.

On September 8, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the capture of a US UUV at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz and released footage of it. Comparison confirmed it matches Anduril Industries' DIVE-LD UUV. US Central Command stated that the UUV had malfunctioned more than a day before being discovered by Iran, that it belonged to an older model, and that it had neither collected sensitive data nor carried any classified sonar or radar equipment.

Professor Kevin Rowlands, editor at the Royal United Services Institute in the UK, told Reuters in an interview that UUV manufacturers and the US side should have established relevant protocols to ensure that once equipment falls into enemy hands, the most critical technology cannot be accessed. Iran indeed possesses many drones, which it has provided to Russia for use in the conflict with Ukraine, and is skilled in operating unmanned systems. However, in terms of propulsion, guidance, maneuverability, depth management, and certain communications, they may not be as sophisticated as US systems, thus presenting a distinct gap.

According to Anduril, the DIVE-LD is a large-diameter autonomous underwater vehicle, measuring 5.8 meters long and 1.2 meters in diameter, capable of autonomously executing missions lasting up to 10 days, with a maximum diving depth of 6,000 meters. Its hull utilizes 3D printing technology for a high degree of customizability, incorporating innovative manufacturing processes for internal core structural components and buoyancy systems to allow custom modifications for different types of payloads and sensors, applicable for defense or commercial operations, with Anduril also offering enterprise leasing options.

According to Defense Review and Taiwanese media reports, Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology is cooperating with Anduril to adapt and customize the DIVE-LD to Taiwan's requirements, integrating multi-beam scanning capabilities to detect mines and submarines, making it a highly customized UUV.