Indian Strategic Studies: Taiwan should create drone swarm ‘asymmetric hellscape’ to blunt Chinese invasion: Report
AI Analysis
The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) report suggests Taiwan should develop a drone swarm strategy to create an 'asymmetric hellscape' to deter Chinese invasion. This approach focuses on using thousands of drones in conjunction with conventional weapons to target the PLA during vulnerable phases of an invasion.
Key Takeaways
- Taiwan's current defense strategy is insufficient against potential Chinese aggression.
- CNAS recommends creating a drone swarm to increase operational flexibility and mass.
- The proposed strategy aims to make invasion costly by targeting PLA during transit and landing.
- Taiwan faces challenges such as limited industrial capacity for drone production.
- Institutional military issues in Taiwan could hinder the implementation of the strategy.
Why It Matters
The strategic shift towards drone swarms represents a significant move towards asymmetric warfare, potentially altering the balance of power in the Taiwan Strait. Successfully implementing this strategy could deter Chinese military actions by increasing the cost and complexity of an invasion, thus contributing to regional stability.
Indian Strategic Studies: Taiwan should create drone swarm ‘asymmetric hellscape’ to blunt Chinese invasion: Report
Mike Yeo
MELBOURNE — Taiwan’s current approach to defense is unlikely to deter Chinese aggression, and it needs a new operational concept that builds mass and provides operational flexibility but yet remain affordable, according to a new report.
In its report, the US-based thinktank Center for a New American Security (CNAS) also calls on the island to create an “asymmetric hellscape” made up of thousands of drones working in concert with more conventional weapons to render an invasion prohibitively costly by focusing on defeating China’s People’s Liberation Army when it is most vulnerable: during its cross-strait transit and when its troops are landing.
The report, titled Hellscape for Taiwan: Rethinking Asymmetric Defense, however also warned that Taiwan still faces hurdles in making this a reality, ranging from lacking the domestic industrial base to produce the drones at scale and institutional problems in its military.