Taiwan should build a powerful unmanned force to prevent a possible conflict and ensure its security, said the number one US diplomat on the democratically-ruled island Raymond Green, quoted by Reuters. According to him, the island should literally be turned into a "wasp nest" with the help of drones, BTA reported.
The US - the most important international supporter and arms supplier to Taiwan, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations - strongly support the government's plan to modernize its armed forces and increase defense spending.
Taiwan says it needs to strengthen its defenses amid a growing threat from China, which claims the island as its own territory.
Speaking at a drone forum in the central city of Taichung, Green, director of the American Institute in Taiwan and de facto U.S. ambassador to the island, said drones represent a “game-changing opportunity” in favor of strengthening peace and security in Taiwan and the region as a whole.
“Fortunately for Taiwan, drones give the defenders a significant advantage even when faced with overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy“, he added, referring to the war in Ukraine.
“Nothing will prevent potential conflicts more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet's nest with the help of flying, surface and underwater drones.“
Although the Taiwanese government has prioritized drones and other systems for conducting asymmetric warfare, in May the opposition-dominated parliament approved only two-thirds of the additional defense spending of 1.25 trillion NTD ($40 billion) requested by President William Lai. The government has earmarked funds only for American weapons.
Now the cabinet is proposing a new package of 210 billion NTD ($6.59 billion) to equip the military with a full range of reconnaissance drones, coastal attack drones and small unmanned surface vehicles by the end of 2031.
Speaking at the same forum as Green, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiouyen, a senior official from the main opposition party, the Kuomintang Nationalists, said that political forces in parliament should “work together” to encourage the development of the drone manufacturing industry.
“From Ukraine to Iran – "The nature of warfare around the world has changed because of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles," said Lu, who is widely seen as a likely future presidential candidate.
Taichung City is one of the centers of Taiwan's drone industry and is home to companies such as Thunder Tiger and the state-owned Aerospace Industry Development Corporation (AIDC).
Yesterday, President William Lai said the island urgently needs drones.
“Against the changing geopolitical landscape and the development of modern warfare, building asymmetric combat capabilities is a national defense project that is developing in a race against time,” he told a meeting of his Democratic Progressive Party.