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Taiwan looks to develop military drone fleet after drawing on lessons from Ukraine’s war with Russia
- On a visit to a proposed research and development facility, President Tsai Ing-wen says UAVs are necessary for the island’s defences
- But defence analysts warn the island is a long way behind mainland China and will need a major effort to close the gap
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Taiwan will speed up the development of its military drones to strengthen its defences against Beijing after seeing how Ukraine used them to resist Russia’s invasion.
Noting the effectiveness of Ukraine’s drone fleet, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said recently: “Regardless of whether it is for military or civilian use, it is highly necessary for us to speed up our development of drones as it will be an important matter for the next generation.”
But analysts warned it was unclear if the island would succeed given mainland China’s much more advanced unmanned aerial vehicle industry.
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Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province that must be returned to its control – by force if necessary.
In recent years it has ramped up pressure on Taiwan, including sending warplanes almost daily and staging war games around the island to try to force Tsai accept the one-China principle and hold unification talks.
02:20
Heightened tensions in Taiwan amid Russian invasion of Ukraine
Heightened tensions in Taiwan amid Russian invasion of Ukraine
Tsai made her comments last Sunday during a visit to the southwestern city of Chiayi where the local government is planning to open an aerospace park to research and develop artificial intelligence and drone technology.
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