Taiwan counter-drone programme faces technical gaps and delays

An official audit by Taiwan’s Audit Office has revealed significant technical shortcomings in the island’s NT$3.55 billion (US$111 million) fixed-site counter-drone programme. Developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), the system designed to protect airbases and military facilities is currently unable to detect or jam the 5.1GHz frequency utilized by newer People’s Liberation Army (PLA) drone models.

The audit further noted that the system lacks adequate coverage for parts of the BeiDou-3 satellite navigation system and possesses limited capability against emerging threats, including AI-guided and fibre-optic drones. Implementation of the programme is reportedly six to 12 months behind schedule due to component shortages and construction delays.

In a separate setback, a procurement effort by the army to acquire 26 fixed-site systems from local contractor Tron Future Tech was terminated following repeated testing failures. Defense Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung noted that the existing systems struggle to integrate information from search and passive radar systems when facing multiple waves of drones, complicating target identification.