Taiwanese military set to get first set of locally made short-range drones as PLA threats intensify

Name: PLA tests its amphibious combat capability during beach-landing drill on China’s southeastern coast
Uploaded: 2022-06-06T09:30:58.000Z
Duration: 1 min 30 s
Description: PLA tests its amphibious combat capability during beach-landing drill on China’s southeastern coast

First 14 of 50 short-range UAVs to be delivered later this year, island’s defence ministry says

Remainder to come next year, allowing the formation of drone divisions to boost reconnaissance and battle response capacity against the PLA

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Taiwanese and US experts believe that armed UAVs could prove effective in repelling an attack from the Chinese mainland. Photo: CNA

Lawrence Chung

Published: 5:30pm, 6 Jun 2022Updated: 7:21pm, 6 Jun 2022

Taiwan’s army will get its first domestically made military drones within months, the island’s defence ministry said.

The expected delivery comes as Taiwanese armed forces seek to boost reconnaissance and battle response capabilities in the face of growing threats from Beijing, which considers the self-governed island to be breakaway territory.

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, Taiwan’s top weapons maker, is due to hand over 14 sets of the tactical short-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) later this year, according to a defence ministry budget review report recently sent to the legislature.

“The UAVs with the rotor systems are needed to effectively bolster the surveillance and reconnaissance abilities of the combined arms battalions and allow them to have adequate early warning to counter enemy operations,” the ministry report noted.

It listed a budget of NT$779.9 million (US$26.5 million) to buy 50 sets of the drones for its 23 combined arms battalions. These battalions were formed in September 2019 to tackle potential amphibious landing and warplane attacks by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

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PLA tests its amphibious combat capability during beach-landing drill on China’s southeastern coast

The remaining 36 sets were expected to be delivered next year, allowing the battalions to form their own UAV fleet, the ministry note said.

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