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Taiwan to strengthen defences after mainland Chinese drone films soldiers
- Anti-drone system will be introduced next year, with countermeasures to include warning flares and alarms, island’s defence ministry says
- The move comes after Quemoy command confirms video of Taiwanese soldiers throwing rocks at unmanned craft
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Taiwan announced it will strengthen its drone defence system after the island’s military confirmed a drone from mainland China flew over a Taipei-controlled islet and recorded video of soldiers stationed there.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that an anti-drone system would be deployed next year. The system will first be introduced on small islands and islets near mainland China in response to threats of drone incursions, according to the ministry.
The ministry said the Taiwanese military’s countermeasures would include firing flares and sounding alarms as warnings, and chief defence officers might increase combat readiness depending on the threat level.
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It said officers and soldiers would continue to be vigilant in accordance with the principle of “not escalating conflicts or causing disputes” and would use technology to take appropriate countermeasures.
The move comes after footage on social media showed two Taiwanese soldiers throwing stones at a drone that approached their guard post. On Wednesday, the defence command in Quemoy, also called Kinmen, confirmed that the incident occurred on August 16 on Erdan islet, located 4km (2.5 miles) from the mainland city of Xiamen.
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The ministry said the Taiwanese soldiers had thrown stones to thwart the unmanned craft, which the Quemoy command described as a civilian drone.
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