TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense said on Monday it has organized drone usage into joint-operations, tactical, and combat roles.

At the joint-operations level, unmanned systems will conduct long-endurance, long-range reconnaissance, surveillance, and strike missions across Taiwan’s surrounding maritime and air domains, the ministry said, per CNA.

At the tactical level, drones will perform reconnaissance and identify enemy targets. They will also draw enemy fire to deplete air-defense missiles and assist in combined anti-landing, littoral, and beach operations.

In combat, drones will extend the warning and strike ranges of existing weapons, acquire targets, shorten response times, and support sustained operations, the ministry said.

In peacetime, drones will take on time-consuming and high-risk tasks such as maritime and air surveillance and patrols to reduce personnel burdens and wear on high-value manned systems.

The ministry said there are dedicated drone training centers in all three branches of the armed forces, as well as the Marine Corps. Training covers 10 course types and calls for Class I and II surveillance and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle practice flights to be conducted and certified by unit instructors.

The ministry said it will develop key hardware and software capabilities such as image recognition, anti-jamming, and multimodal guidance, while building domestic R&D and production capacity.

Army Chief of Staff Chen Chun-yi (陳俊義) said last month the Army plans to form unmanned aerial system groups for each of Taiwan’s five theaters of operation by next July.