The army is set to establish an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) group for each of the nation's five theaters of operations by July next year, the army’s chief of staff said yesterday.
During a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said the army plans to form UAS groups composed of different types of drones for each theater, depending on their respective missions.
In response to questions from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇) about the details of the plan, army Chief of Staff Chen Chun-yi (陳 俊義) said all the groups are expected to be in place by July, adding that the rollout would be carried out in phases in line with the army’s drone procurement progress.
Photo: Chen Chih-cheng, Taipei Times
Saying that drone operators are not currently eligible for monthly specialty pay, Chen Chun-yu asked whether the Ministry of National Defense would consider extending such pay to drone operators to support recruitment and retention.
Koo said that drone operators, as members of combat units, already receive special duty assignment pay and a comprehensive review is required before any additional allowances are offered.
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