TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's 10th Field Army (十軍團) demonstrated the island nation's robust defense capabilities during its annual artillery drill, held on Wednesday (June 4) at the Dajia River (大甲溪) in Taichung. The exercise featured the M109A2 and M110A2 self-propelled artillery, showcasing the military's readiness against potential threats.
Showcasing Taiwan's military strength, the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) released footage of a successful target strike test using a "FPV Immersive Suicide Drone" (沉浸式自殺攻擊無人機) a day earlier. The drone, developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST, 中山科學院) and Thunder Tiger Corp. (雷虎科技), utilizes Artificial Intelligence for targeting and was tested in March at the Jiupeng Base (九鵬基地).
This advanced unmanned aerial vehicle can carry up to 20 kilograms of explosives and operate within a 10-kilometer range, demonstrating Taiwan's growing capabilities in drone warfare. Sheu Jyh-shyang (許智翔), an assistant research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR, 國防安全研究院), emphasized the importance of anti-drone capabilities. He noted that Taiwan's adversary is a drone superpower, suggesting that counter-drone measures should take priority over establishing offensive drone capabilities.
The Ukraine-Russia conflict has demonstrated drones' power and efficiency on the battlefield, highlighting their potential advantage in asymmetric warfare — the strategy Taiwan is currently developing. Su Tzu-Yun (蘇紫雲), director of the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources at INDSR, stated that Taiwan needs to prepare 2 million small — and medium-sized drones and 15,600 medium — and large-sized drones to meet its defense needs.
Drones are apparently becoming Taiwan's primary focus for enhancing national security, including their production and supply chain. Hu Kai-Hung (胡開宏) of Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance (TEDIBOA, 台灣無人機聯盟) and Yasuhiro Senda (千田泰弘), vice president of the Japan UAS Industrial Development Association (JUIDA), recently signed a memorandum of cooperation in Tokyo.
This agreement underscores not only the industrial cooperation between Taiwan and Japan but also the importance of supply chain resilience and non-red supply chains (非紅供應鏈). The collaboration aims to integrate resources and establish an independent supply chain that meets Taiwan's defense requirements, potentially increasing its effectiveness on future battlefields. ◼