Taiwan’s military carried out its first joint combat exercise using multiple types of attack drones this week, President Lai Ching-te said on Friday (September 18, 2026) showed how the armed forces were adapting to the needs of modern warfare.
Mr. Lai has made defence modernisation a key part of his agenda given the rising threat from China, including developing drones and spending more on defence, something U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly pressed the country’s allies to do. Overseeing the drills in the far south of Taiwan, which also included launches of domestically developed Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles and Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS rockets, Mr. The statement from his office did not say what types of drones were used during the three days of drills and only provided images of the missiles.
Lai said precision firing exercises are crucial for testing weapon effectiveness. “In particular, this marks the first time the military has incorporated multiple types of attack drones into joint combat exercises,” Mr. Lai said, according to a transcript of his comments to officers provided by the presidential office.
The government has been working to better integrate the Coast Guard into overall defence planning, given it would have an auxiliary role to the navy during a war.
Mr. Mr. Lai was accompanied not only by Defence Minister Wellington Koo and other senior security officials, but also by Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, during his visit.
Lai said the military is accelerating its combat capabilities to show Taiwan “has the confidence and capability to defend national sovereignty and fulfil its responsibility for regional peace and stability”.
