Taiwan military conducts first joint drill with multiple attack drones

Lai, who has made defense modernization a key part of his agenda amid rising threats from China, oversaw the exercises. He stated that precision firing exercises are crucial for testing weapon effectiveness and that the coordinated use of unmanned vehicles with conventional weapons reflects adaptation to modern warfare. The presidential office provided images of missiles but did not specify the types of drones used during the three-day drills.

Drones have become central to combat operations in conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and in the Middle East, and Taiwan is keen to learn lessons from these for its contingency planning. Lai added that the military is accelerating its combat capabilities to show Taiwan's confidence and capability to defend its national sovereignty and contribute to regional peace and stability.

Lai was accompanied by Defence Minister Wellington Koo and Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan's Ocean Affairs Council, which runs the Coast Guard. The government is working to better integrate the Coast Guard into overall defense planning, as it would play an auxiliary role to the navy during wartime. During Taiwan's main annual war games in August, a Coast Guard ship was fitted with anti-ship missiles.

Lai and his government reject Beijing's sovereignty claims, asserting that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.