Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te (William Lai) has stated that the United States’ approval of over a thousand small armed drones for sale to Taiwan for 360 million dollars is a move in the right direction. The United States is fulfilling its obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act by providing Taiwan with weapons to defend its sovereignty.
Taiwan, often referred to as a “rebel province” by China, has been under increasing military pressure from its neighbor. The goal of receiving these drones is to enhance asymmetric warfare capabilities and adopt tactics similar to those used in Ukraine. The drones will be used for reconnaissance operations, and include 720 Switchblade 300 systems and up to 291 Altius 600M-V drones.
The new president of Taiwan has been labeled a “dangerous separatist” by China, but Lai has emphasized that he will not give in to any attempts at coercion or invasion by Beijing. He reaffirmed his commitment to defending national sovereignty, democracy, and freedom, and upholding the rules-based international order.
The sale of these drones will undoubtedly provoke anger from Beijing, but it sends a clear message that the United States is willing to support Taiwan in its efforts to defend itself against aggression. Many analysts suggest that Taiwan should focus more on asymmetric warfare strategies rather than conventional weapons if they want to make it more difficult for China to invade the island.
