Taiwan tests maritime drones to defend against China following Ukraine's example

Marine drones are being tested near a fishing port on Taiwan's Pacific coast, Reuters reports.

According to media reports, Taiwan is studying the experience of Ukraine, which effectively uses naval drones in the Black Sea against Russia, to understand how such UAVs can be used to defend against a possible Chinese invasion.

These are small, remotely controlled, explosive-laden vessels that can attack targets on the water or in the air.

According to media reports, under pressure from the United States, Taiwan is retooling its armed forces for "asymmetric warfare." This means using more mobile, smaller, and often cheaper weapons, such as naval drones, that can still deliver precise strikes.

Chen Kuan-ting, a member of Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), emphasized that drones played a very important role in the war in Ukraine.

"Unmanned vehicles, whether boats or underwater vehicles, can effectively deter China because Taiwan is not the attacking party, we are the defending party," he noted.

The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology has called the plan to create maritime drones the "Fast and Sudden" project. Its current budget is about 800 million NTD ($26.77 million).

Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo said the naval drones would be included in a supplementary spending package to be presented later this year. Details of that budget have not yet been announced.

Thunder Tiger CEO William Chen said during a recent test of the SeaShark 800 naval drone that the weapon could be a surprise for China. The drone is capable of carrying 1,200 kg of explosives and traveling up to 500 km.

"We can create uncertainty. We can fill the Taiwan Strait with danger and risk. No one knows where these dangers may manifest themselves," added William Chen.

By the way, in May, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's Naval Forces unveiled the characteristics of three versions of its main MAGURA unmanned boats, which destroy Russian ships and air targets in the Black Sea.