TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With 20,000 people licensed to operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Taiwan should establish a drone volunteer army, a leading defense contractor said Saturday (Sept. 2).

In times of war, the volunteers could be mobilized just like volunteer firefighters, forming a key backup for the armed forces, said Luo Cheng-fang (羅正方), chair of GEOSAT Aerospace and Technology Inc. The businessperson is known for being the team leader of Taiwan’s national drone sector, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by the Taiwan Association of University Professors (TAUP), Luo compared the effectiveness of drones with F-16V fighter jets procured from the United States.

Only a limited number of people can be trained over a long period of time to operate jets, he said. In contrast, Taiwan could hide drone operators close to the frontline and have them deploy military UAVs to attack enemy targets, he added.

According to Luo, Taiwan has already developed nine models of military drones, five types of commercial drones suitable for military use, and three defense systems. In the event of conflict, the UAV makers could supply the drones, while a volunteer force could become active in a model for cooperation between civilians and the military, Luo said.