Taiwan’s military is set to establish its first-ever army drone units later this year, part of a broader push to modernize its forces amid escalating threats from China.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo explained to the Wall Street Journal that the move builds on a similar initiative by the country’s marine corps, which has already converted several tank and artillery battalions into drone units.
The step reflects Taiwan’s growing focus on asymmetric warfare, leveraging smaller, more innovative, and more agile systems to counter the overwhelming scale of Beijing’s military in the event of an invasion.
“It would be best if China wakes up every day feeling like ‘today’s just not the day to invade,’” Koo stated.
In addition to new army drone formations, Taipei aims to integrate unmanned surface vessels into its navy.
Need for Long-Range Drones
In June 2024, the Center for a New American Security called for greater investment in long-range drones to help Taiwan counter the threat of a potential Chinese invasion.
The US think tank warned that Beijing could exploit its large drone fleet to gain an edge in a future conflict quickly. It urged Taiwan and its key backer, the US, to close the gap by rapidly acquiring sufficient quantities of “good enough” long-range drones.
Taiwan has significantly ramped up investments in unmanned aerial systems, with the state-run National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) leading much of the development.
Among its latest systems is the Chien Hsiang, an anti-radiation loitering munition that reportedly has a range of up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and can reach speeds of 500 to 600 kilometers (310 to 372 miles) per hour when diving toward a target.
NCSIST is also developing two additional kamikaze drone types: one modeled after the US Switchblade and another designed for swarm attacks.
