Training with drones would become necessary, and drone training would be included alongside precision missile drills conducted by different military units, a source said on Saturday.
As various units continue to receive drones, joint operations training integrating uncrewed platforms with land, sea and air forces would become necessary, the source said, adding that such training might even be a part of this year’s Han Kuang live-fire exercises.
To counter ongoing intimidation by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, the military has been acquiring various categories of armaments, including those that could bolster asymmetric warfare capabilities and defense resilience, they said, adding that drones form part of those efforts.
Photo: Daniel Ceng, AP
Former US Indo-Pacific commander Admiral John Aquilino introduced the idea of using drones to defend Taiwan in what he coined the “hellscape” strategy in August 2023.
The strategy is an asymmetric warfare concept that involves deploying thousands of low-cost uncrewed drones, ships and submarines in large numbers to delay or even destroy enemy forces in a storm-like swarm attack. US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo has since reaffirmed the concept in an interview in June last year.
However, a significant effort would be required to reach the capabilities needed to implement such a strategy, the sources said.
“Although the military has demonstrated drone capabilities in major exercises such as the Han Kuang military drills and has closely monitored Chinese warships, drone operations have mostly been limited to reconnaissance missions involving single units,” they said.
Integrating drones into joint combat operations or live-fire exercises is a complex and risky endeavor, and Taiwan has very few designated sea and air training zones, necessitating careful planning and further discussions before engaging in such exercises, they said.
Understanding how uncrewed platforms integrate with other military equipment requires further research, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said.
While there is no complete plan for uncrewed surface vessels yet, the integration of drones with land, sea and air forces, along with drone logistics and live-fire testing, must be strengthened, he said, adding that the military should look at incorporating civilian drones into military operations.
“Also, joint training with drones should aim to enhance overall combat effectiveness. Merely testing drones’ range and visual targeting capabilities during drills would be meaningless,” said Shen, who is cochair of the legislative Foreign and National Defense Committee.
Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌), a researcher at the government-funded think tank Institute for National Defense and Security Research, agreed with the need to incorporate drone training into military drills.
“Only through precision live-fire exercises and the Han Kuang drills can Taiwan validate the reliability of the military technologies it is developing, and the effectiveness of its combat concepts,” he said.
Commenting on how drones could improve combat capabilities, Shu cited the example of the M142 HIMARS multiple rocket launcher system, which arrived in Taiwan in October last year, but was absent from last year’s Han Kuang exercises.
Given the HIMARS’ extended range beyond traditional visual targeting, drones are essential for target acquisition when using the system, he said.
As for advancing the hellscape strategy, Shu said that the key lies in reducing costs and adopting the mindset of treating suicide drones as expendable munitions.
Future attack drone strategies should leverage AI technology to enhance coordination and mission allocation of drones, he said.
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is heading in the right direction with its research into such technologies, he said.
“Once the navy establishes its littoral combat command, it should consider acquiring uncrewed platforms to serve as supplementary firepower,” he said.
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