Anticipating An Increase In China's Threats, Taiwan Launches Combat Drones To New Reconnaissance

Drone medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial system Taiwan. (Twitter/@GuyPloppsky)

JAKARTA - Taiwan's government-owned military weapons developer launched five types of local-made military drones three weeks ago, as it intends to increase its asymmetric warfare capabilities to deal with China's growing military threats.

CNN was among the journalists invited to the Chung-shan National Institute of Science and Technology, where Taiwanese weapons developers showcased eight types of locally developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) - including five models that were shown to the public for the first time.

The new drone comes in a variety of sizes and is equipped with combat to reconnaissance capabilities, said Eric Chi, director of the institute's Aviation System Research Division, adding that the device was designed for use by various Taiwanese military branches.

"In response to the new global war trend, our military has actively built asymmetric war capabilities," Chi said.

He explained that the agency had been working to develop core technology "to fully implement national self-sufficiency defense policies."

One of the new reconnaissance drones is UAV Albatross II, which has been able to carry out surveillance for a long time and track naval vessels in the sea using artificial intelligence.

"This drone is able to stay in the air continuously for 16 hours and has a maximum range of more than 300 kilometers (186 miles)," the agency told reporters.

Another new reconnaissance drone that caught the eye was the portable UAV Cardinal III, which was able to take off and land vertically, and was designed to monitor activity along the coastline, the agency said.

Meanwhile, the main combat drone introduced to journalists is the UAV Loitering Munition, which can be operated by a soldier. This drone is equipped with a warhead and is capable of targeting individuals or vehicles from the air.

It said the drone was created based on a US-made Switchblade 300 drone, which the Ukrainian military has widely used to target enemy radar systems in its defenses against the Russian invasion.

Other types of new combat drones are also designed to utilize GPS satellite systems and image tracking technologies to launch attacks, he said.

A short thread with photos I took at the 2019 Taiwan Aerospace & Defense Trade Expo (#TADTE)👇 pic.twitter.com/KI9CHFZprg

— Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) August 16, 2019

Chi added the new drone is being tested by the Taiwanese military and is likely to enter mass production as early as this year.

The new weapons were launched as Beijing's leadership further confirmed its territorial claim to Taiwan, a democracy island of 23.5 million people it never controlled, and explicitly refused to rule out the use of force to control it.

The day before, Chinese leader Xi Jinping vowed to increase national security and build the military into a "big steel wall", in his first speech before parliament after being sworn in as president for a third term.

China is also increasing its military pressure on Taiwan by regularly sending naval aircraft and ships across the central line of the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan relies heavily on the United States' arsenal to maintain its defense capabilities against China, which is getting stronger and has bought a lot of goods at a high price.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden's Administration approved a potential arms sale of US$619 million to Taiwan covering missiles for F-16 fighter jets.

However, the island's democracy is also increasingly emphasizing the acceleration of the development of domestic weapons to increase its military capabilities, especially cheaper and more easily displaced weapons systems that can play an important role in containing the Chinese invasion.

Last October, Taiwan announced it would increase its annual defense spending this year by 13.9 percent. The military service period for eligible Taiwanese men will also be extended from four months to one year starting in 2024.