Taiwan Establishes First-Ever Military Drone Units

The Armed Forces of the Republic of China (Taiwan) are set to establish their first-ever military units dedicated to drone operations.

According to The Defense Post, Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that the initiative draws on the experience of the Marine Corps, which has already created similar units by restructuring tank and artillery battalions as part of a pilot program.

This move reflects Taiwan’s growing focus on an asymmetric strategy — specifically, the use of smaller, innovative, and mobile systems capable of effectively countering Beijing’s numerically superior forces in the event of an invasion.

“It would be better if China woke up every day feeling that today is simply not the day to launch an invasion,” Koo stated.

In addition to expanding its drone aviation capabilities, Taipei also aims to integrate unmanned surface vessels into the structure of its Navy.

It is worth noting that the large-scale deployment of FPV drones into the arsenal of the Republic of China’s Army started as early as the summer of 2024.

The adoption of this new type of weapon started with training exercises in military units, where service members are learning how to program drones, install warheads, as well as maintain and repair the systems.

Taiwan is notably closely monitoring the course of combat operations in Ukraine, where FPV drones have proven to be one of the most effective means of striking a wide range of enemy targets.

Meanwhile, the island faces challenges in producing such drones, as some components are still sourced from mainland China.

Tensions Are Rising

In March, it was announced that Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense had identified the year 2027 as a potential time frame for a Chinese invasion of the island.

The Defense Ministry cited this date in a document released to inform lawmakers about upcoming military exercises designed to simulate a Chinese military attack.

Over the past decade, none of the previous plans for Taiwan’s most extensive annual military exercises had specified a concrete year for a possible Chinese invasion.

Moreover, U.S. officials stated last year that China is preparing to invade Taiwan by 2027, citing Beijing’s active buildup of fighter jets, naval vessels, and plans to double its arsenal of ballistic and cruise missiles.