On a bright morning last month, three sea drones skimmed across Su’ao Bay, off of Taiwan’s rugged northeast coast. The tiny “stealth” Carbon Voyager 1, fast-moving Black Tide I, and explosives-carrying Sea Shark 800 were the highlight of an expo for companies vying to help Taiwan build up a maritime drone force. Taipei believes drones could be pivotal in repelling China in the event its forces attempt to invade the self-ruled island, which Beijing has threatened to annex by force if necessary. Su’ao is just 60km (37 miles) from Fulong, one of the so-called “red beaches” identified by defence experts as potential landing sites for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) due to their unique topography. Whereas Russia sent tanks across land borders to launch its war on Ukraine in 2022, a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would involve Beijing sending vessels across the 180-km- (112-mile-)wide Taiwan Strait. While the Taiwan Strait’s choppy waters and Taiwan’s mountainous geography and shallow beaches pose formidable challenges to an amphibious invasion, technological advances and a decades-long modernisation campaign by the PLA have steadily chipped away at the island’s natural defences.

Full commentary : In the shadow of China, Taiwan is building a drone army to stop an invasion.