Facing China threat: Taiwan to build millions of drones using Ukraine’s wartime experience
Photo: Taiwan will defend itself against China with the help of drones (Getty Images)
Taiwan has signed a partnership agreement with the US-German company Auterion to supply drone software that has been tested in combat conditions in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
Taiwan aims to bolster its defense against growing military threats from its giant neighbor, China.
Auterion, whose software is used in Ukrainian drones carrying out combat missions against Russia, said the deal could eventually lead to this technology being deployed in millions of drones for Taiwan.
China views the democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up military pressure over the past five years, including conducting half a dozen rounds of war games. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's claims.
Ukraine's experience
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan has been studying how Ukraine uses drones both in the air and at sea to successfully offset Russia's numerical advantage on the battlefield - a scenario similar to Taiwan's own disadvantage in numbers compared to China’s forces.
Auterion said it has agreed on a strategic partnership with Taiwan's defense ministry's research and development arm, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology - focusing on unmanned systems and swarm drone software.
"What we're bringing to the table has been combat-proven in Ukraine to deter aggression and destroy tanks, naval assets, and other really expensive equipment. So by building a large autonomous fleet, Taiwan can deter China," Auterion's chief executive Lorenz Meier told Reuters.
According to Meier, the partnership is very long-term. "So I think in terms of, if you're trying to put that in number of drones or dollars, we're expecting millions of drones eventually over multiple years and hundreds of millions of dollars in value that's being created," Auterion's chief executive added, speaking at a ministry-organised sea drone exhibition at the northeastern Taiwanese port of Suao.
Defending island
Under pressure from the United States, Taiwan is working to transform its armed forces to be capable of fighting asymmetric warfare, using mobile and often cheaper weapons that still have precision power, such as drones and truck-mounted missiles.
Ukraine has used naval drones not only to attack ships of Russia's Black Sea Fleet but also to destroy aircraft.
The naval drones showcased in Suao included not only those designed to be packed with explosives for high-speed kamikaze missions, but also smaller vessels capable of conducting stealth reconnaissance.
