Given its much smaller size than China, asymmetric defense capabilities are not just feasible for Taiwan — they are necessary. The Overall Defense Concept (ODC), designed to guide Taiwan’s limited defense budget and military capacity toward asymmetric capabilities, was created to meet this exact need. However, the government abandoned the ODC once the tenure of former chief of staff Admiral Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明) — the doctrine’s chief architect — ended in 2019. From then until 2023, Taiwan’s defense shifted back toward conventional doctrines prioritizing large and costly platforms such as frigates and submarines.
However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a wake-up call. Ukraine’s successful use of asymmetric strategies and tactics to halt a larger Russian military highlighted how smaller states can resist major powers. This has resonated deeply in Taiwan. Since early 2023, Taiwan has been working to strengthen its long-overlooked uncrewed weapons systems as part of a renewed focus on asymmetric defense.
In the early stages of the government-backed drone development initiative, Taiwanese drone makers mostly focused on uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs). As Ukraine has demonstrated the disruptive power of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) — damaging or destroying nearly one-third of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet — Taiwanese companies began to explore USVs. This pivot also fits within the US’ new “hellscape” concept for the Indo-Pacific region.
Hellscape, as envisioned by the US Indo-Pacific Command, is a multi-domain strategy to saturate contested zones — particularly the Taiwan Strait — with massive numbers of autonomous and semi-autonomous systems. The aim is to deter a Chinese invasion using overwhelming swarm tactics. Taiwan’s alignment with the strategy is not optional — it is essential. In the face of China’s rapid military buildup for amphibious operations, Taiwan needs cost-effective, scalable and flexible tools for denial and defense.
Last week, CSBC Corp unveiled its first multi-role USV, the Endeavor Manta, marking a significant step in Taiwan’s adoption of uncrewed systems. Taiwan’s goal is to disrupt any invasion using swarm tactics and uncrewed platforms. Manta is the first publicly revealed system, but it would not be the last. At last year’s Taipei International Electronics Show and Artificial Intelligence of Things expo, firms such as Kunway also displayed USVs, including a stealth USV.
The hellscape concept requires tens of thousands of UAVs and USVs to be effective. Taiwan is ramping up its drone arsenal with imports and domestic production. After launching its drone development initiative, the Ministry of National Defense set a target of acquiring about 3,000 drones across various categories by the middle of last year. Limited production capacity and the inexperience of local manufacturers in producing military-grade drones rendered that goal unrealistic.
Taiwan’s sluggish drone progress stems from two problems. First, despite statements from government and military leaders about the importance of asymmetric capabilities, Taiwan lacks a comprehensive asymmetric defense strategy. Since 2019, acquisitions of drones, anti-ship, anti-tank and air defense missiles have moved forward — but in isolation. Weapons alone are not enough. True asymmetric capability requires joint operational planning, robust logistics, inter-service communication and new operational concepts built around a clearly defined denial strategy.
Solving the first issue would help address the second: production bottlenecks. Many local drone firms previously focused on commercial markets, making products such as model airplanes and remote-control cars. While state-owned firms such as the Aerospace Industrial Development Corp are capable of making sophisticated UAVs, these systems take longer to build and are more costly. Private drone manufacturers struggle to access international markets and secure funding for research and development. They are navigating a global defense sector already dominated by giants, often without government coordination or support.
The most promising path forward for Taiwan’s drone industry is to cooperate with like-minded countries. However, China’s global economic influence make such partnerships difficult.
With a well-defined asymmetric doctrine, many of these challenges could be mitigated. Currently, there is a disconnect between what the military needs and what local firms can deliver. Drone development is like preparing a balanced diet; each country must tailor its approach to its own strategic needs, industrial capacity and budget.
Without a clear and comprehensive strategy, Taiwan risks inefficiently allocating its already tight defense budget. The introduction of the Manta USV is a promising sign, but it is just the beginning. Taiwan must now build a coherent framework to integrate these capabilities into a broader denial-and-deterrence posture — before time runs out.
Harun Talha Ayanoglu is a research associate at the Taiwan Center for Security Studies.
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