Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced the deployment of hand-held anti-unmanned aerial vehicles (C-UAV) guns in Kinmen and Matsu, a group of islands controlled by Taiwan near mainland China.
Previously, multiple incidents involving drones — believed to be commercial or amateur-level platforms — came from the mainland that took photos and videos of Taiwanese soldiers stationed in the Kinmen Islands. In one incident, surprised troops can be seen throwing rocks at an invading drone in an attempt to disable it. Another example is the downing of a drone by Taiwanese troops near the Kinmen Islands.
The new C-UAV artillery is part of a new approach to countering such harassment tactics, MND said. These devices are designed to disrupt communications between the drone and its controller, allowing it to perform a forced landing or return to its origin. MND also revealed that at least one drone was repelled from the Golden Gate Islands by a C-UAV system on September 3.
MND had earlier announced that it would roll out new C-UAV defenses at its bases in 2023, prioritizing bases on its outlying islands. The ministry said the development of the remote-controlled defense system has been completed and will be deployed in 45 facilities in Taiwan by 2026.
It did not disclose details of the new C-UAV capability, but local media reports suggest the development is being led by the state-run National Zhongshan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) under a contract worth about $147 million. According to reports, NCSIT will install the systems at key facilities such as air force, navy and missile bases, including facilities in remote areas and outlying islands.
According to NCSIST, the C-UAV system can detect, track and classify suspicious drones, and can provide multiple interruption modes to deter drone intrusions.
by Jr Ng
