The CSBC Endeavor Manta is an
uncrewed surface vehicle
An unmanned surface vehicle, unmanned surface vessel or uncrewed surface vessel (USV), colloquially called a drone boat, drone ship or sea drone, is a boat or ship that operates on the surface of the water without a crew. USVs operate with v ...
(USV) produced by
CSBC Corporation, Taiwan
CSBC Corporation, Taiwan (, literally "Taiwan International Shipbuilding Corporation") is a company that produces ships for civilian and military use in Taiwan. It is headquartered in Kaohsiung, with shipyards in Kaohsiung and Keelung. For de ...
.
History
Taiwan's pursuit of USVs was largely driven by their use in the
Russo-Ukrainian War
The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
and a growing
invasion
An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory (country subdivision), territory controlled by another similar entity, ...
threat to
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
from
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
.
According to CSBC the program began in early 2024.
The program was revealed in late 2024 with an official demonstration planned for early 2025.
The system was publicly unveiled in March 2025.
Attributes
The Endeavor Manta has a
trimaran
A trimaran (or double-outrigger) is a multihull boat that comprises a main hull and two smaller outrigger hulls (or "floats") which are attached to the main hull with lateral beams. Most modern trimarans are sailing yachts designed for recrea ...
hull for increased stability.
It can carry an internal
explosive
An explosive (or explosive material) is a reactive substance that contains a great amount of potential energy that can produce an explosion if released suddenly, usually accompanied by the production of light, heat, sound, and pressure. An ex ...
payload as well as light
torpedos
A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...
externally.
Up to 50 USVs can be controlled from a remote control station. Its small size allows it to be launched from a large number of locations.
Specifications
The Endeavor Manta is 8.6 meters long and 3.7 meters wide. It has a top speed of ~65 kilometers per hour and a payload of a little over a ton.
See also
*
Hui Long-class UUV The Hui Long-class UUV is a Taiwanese class of unmanned underwater vehicle.
History
The Hui Long Project was initiated in 2019 with a budget of NT$3.6 billion (US$128.2 million).
The ''Hui Long'' is initially intended to be used as a test platf ...
*
Defense industry of Taiwan
The defense industry of Taiwan is a strategically important sector and a significant employer. They primarily supply weapons and platforms to the Republic of China Armed Forces with few major weapons systems exported abroad. Taiwanese defense ...
*
Maritime industries of Taiwan
The maritime industries of Taiwan are a large part of Taiwan's economy. Industries of particular importance are shipbuilding, boat building, maritime transport, aquaculture, mariculture, commercial fishing, seafood processing, offshore wind power ...
References
{{Reflist
CSBC Corporation, Taiwan
Unmanned surface vehicles
Military trimarans