TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Defense experts said in a Foreign Affairs article that Taiwan must not only buy drones, but also build a complete defense system that links drones, software, local industry, and military units.
In “The Ukraine Lesson Taiwan Keeps Missing,” former CIA Director David Petraeus and Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center Nonresident Senior Fellow Clara Kaluderovic said Ukraine’s war with Russia shows low-cost drones can change modern warfare. They said Taiwan’s main lesson is not which drones to buy, but how to build the system needed to use them well.
Ukraine has used drones in the air, on land, and at sea to find, track, and strike Russian forces. It has also built software, sensor networks, and new military units to help troops use those systems at scale.
Petraeus and Kaluderovic said Taiwan faces a similar problem because it must deter a larger military power. However, they said Taiwan has not yet made the major changes that helped Ukraine adapt quickly.
They pointed to Taiwan’s special defense budget as one warning sign. The experts said lawmakers cut funding for domestic drone production, even as the government said it wanted to field large numbers of drones and uncrewed surface vessels.
They said Taiwan still relies too much on buying expensive traditional weapons from abroad. They argued that this approach will not be enough if Taiwan needs large numbers of low-cost, replaceable systems during a crisis.
Taiwan also needs its own battlefield management software, Petraeus and Kaluderovic said. The digital command system would help connect sensors, commanders, analysts, and weapons so troops can respond faster.
The experts said Taiwan’s engineers should be brought into defense planning more directly. In Ukraine, engineers have worked closely with soldiers to improve software and hardware quickly.
They said Taiwan’s geography makes the challenge more urgent. As Taiwan depends heavily on sea routes, it must have key weapons, spare parts, energy, and communication systems ready before any conflict begins.
The experts said Taiwan should not simply copy Ukraine because the two countries face different battlefields. Ukraine fights along a long land front, while Taiwan must defend the Taiwan Strait and survive air and missile attacks.
They said one clear lesson for Taiwan is the need for large numbers of unmanned maritime systems. These systems could help detect and threaten an invasion fleet before it reaches Taiwan.
The experts said Taiwan still has time to strengthen its defenses. However, they warned that Taiwan cannot buy its way to safety and must build more of its defense capacity at home.
