Taiwan Aims to Counter Drones by MID-2024
Taiwan Aims to Counter Drones by MID-2024.Soldiers in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, conduct drills with tactical, close-range rotary-wing drones. Taiwan is intensifying efforts to speed up the advancement and manufacturing of military drones and countermeasures. This involves expanding national defense programs and prioritizing autonomous swarms.
Taiwan’s air defense identification zone has experienced drone infiltrations by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army over the past year. So, starting in September, PLA has conducted drone flights within the area. In April and May, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry documented one flight and two flights respectively.
Taiwan Aims to Counter Drones by MID-2024: the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that monitors such trends, suggests that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may increase the frequency of unmanned flights over the next two years, along with piloted aircraft. China considers Taiwan a renegade province and has indicated the potential use of force to reclaim it.
So, Amid this ongoing threat, Taiwanese defense authorities have highlighted their country’s limited drone capabilities. To address this gap, Taipei has initiated two national drone programs with distinct focuses.
“The initial initiative is the Drone National Team, aiming to develop and manufacture various military drones. This program involves nine private companies. The second endeavor, the Drone Defense National Team, concentrates on anti-drone systems, led solely by Tron Future, a Taiwan-based company,” said Yu-Jiu Wang, CEO of Tron Future, to Defense News.
At the IDEX arms fair in the UAE in February, Tron Future unveiled its intentions to produce 100 anti-drone radars in 2023 to address the increasing demand. However, it’s unclear whether the company accomplished this goal.
Therefore, according to the CEO, three additional private firms have been approved as subcontractors to deliver counter-drone equipment to Tron Future for system integration. Tron Future also supplies radars, jammers, and sensors to the Drone Defense program for independent assembly.
Taiwan’s objective
By June 2024, Taiwan targets 3,200 varied military UAVs via the offensive-focused Drone National Team. The CEO avoided commenting on the feasibility of this target, but experts expect the project to last at least five years. The team continually assesses and improves drone specifications according to the latest trial results.
“In the next two years, Taiwan aims to establish extensive drone defense capabilities covering major military and civilian infrastructure,” Yu-Jiu commented. “Given the evolving nature of technology, the requirements are continuously improving.”
According to Yu-Jiu, effective countermeasures must address the challenge of neutralizing drone swarms. This involves employing advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and distributed control systems.
“Autonomous swarm non-kinetic countermeasures will be used this year in Taiwan, and autonomous swarm kinetic countermeasures are in development,” he said.
Read the original articles on defensenews.
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