Planes, Boats and Robot Dogs in Taiwan's Drone Acquisition Plans

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan's defense ministry says it will look at both domestic and foreign suppliers to meet its orders for hundreds of thousands of drones across all branches of the armed forces, including aerial drones, unmanned surface vessels and land-based ground vehicles.

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00:00Planes, boats, and now dogs?

00:02Taiwan's Defense Ministry is looking to expand its use of unmanned vehicles across all facets

00:07of the armed forces, with Vice President Bi Kim Shao recently visiting a local company

00:12developing quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles, robot dogs.

00:16The Army has already started conducting research and evaluations on the bots.

00:21While these may be the most eye-catching drones the Defense Ministry wants to acquire, they

00:25are far from the focus.

00:26The Ministry has announced its intentions to acquire more than 200,000 aerial drones,

00:30more than 1,000 drone boats, and counter-drone systems.

00:34Some of these would be domestically developed and manufactured, while others would come from

00:37foreign suppliers, like U.S.-based Anduril.

00:40Experts say these drones could fulfill a variety of battlefield roles.

00:43The drone, I mean unmanned systems, is important to the future of the battlefield.

00:49Robidogs can use both reconnaissance and even use to engage.

00:56However, some experts also say that while the financial support from the Ministry is welcome,

01:01the domestic industry needs further assistance to fulfill its potential.

01:05Don't you know the

01:09drone systems are really far away from PLA, they are in advance.

01:10It's not the case, not the case, but the

01:11military has no chance to do any work.

01:12Do not have any work, don't you know the

01:13other people?

01:14Do not have any work.

01:15Do not have any work.

01:16Do not have any work.

01:17Do not have any work.

01:18Do not have any work.

01:19Do not have any work.

01:20Taiwan's drone system is very, very far, far away from PLAs. They are in advance.

01:28So if it only depends on Taiwan's own technology, I think it is impossible to overcome these gaps.

01:36Looking at lessons from the war in Ukraine, it is clear that drones are becoming an important

01:40part of modern combat. How Taiwan's industry and armed forces integrate those lessons will

01:45be a major factor in deterrence and defense. Andy Shua and Larry Siano for Taiwan Plus.

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