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taiwanThe Defense Ministry has issued new guidelines on when and how its troops can shoot down drones deemed a military threat. China Keep moving.
In a report released last week, the ministry said it was considering purchasing anti-drone weapon systems and training troops to shoot down unmanned aircraft amid infiltration from mainland China.
“With a focus on containing China’s drones”grey-zone strategy”, While stopping short of direct attacks, the ministry said it had developed strategies to detect, identify and shoot down unmanned aircraft approaching the island.
This report comes at a time when Taiwan is increasing military preparedness with exercises on land, sea and air. Rehearsing multiple scenarios of engagement with Chinese forces in the event of an attack,
Taiwan’s outlying islands, which lie closer to China than the main island of Taiwan, frequently encounter Chinese drones.
According to testimony from US intelligence and military leaders, Chinese President Xi Jinping Instructed the People’s Liberation Army Be prepared to “invade or coerce” Taiwan by 2027, Centenary of the establishment of the army.
China considers Taiwan its sovereign territory, calls it a breakaway province, and has not ruled out reuniting the self-ruled island with the mainland by force.
The newly released guidelines require Taiwanese troops to “first identify and track any unidentified drone”, and “report it to commanding authorities while ensuring it poses no threat to civilians”. South China Morning PostIf the flying object continues to approach, they should use warning flares or sirens “to alert nearby units and local law-enforcement agencies.”
Once they ensure that the area is safe, they are authorized to engage the drones using light weapons or jamming guns.
According to the report, the guidelines are designed to ensure that soldiers “react immediately and fight” using “soft-kill and hard-kill methods”.
The ministry said anti-drone systems are a top priority and troops on remote islands are also practicing night shooting during training.
Maj. Gen. Sun Li-fang, a ministry spokesman, said Taipei is continuing efforts to identify and use effective anti-drone systems in response to threats from China.
Developments in drone and anti-drone technologies and strategies were “very rapid, and different advances are being made every day depending on the situation today”, he said. “This is one of our key points in our military preparedness efforts.”
Taiwan is also tracking China’s preparations to establish a blockade around the island, a demonstration of Beijing’s gray zone strategy.
“The CCP has significantly increased joint combat readiness patrols, maritime and air blockades, and joint fire strikes,” the ministry said in the report, referring to China’s preparations.