Taiwan's military has carried out live-fire drills showcasing attack drones and advanced missiles, marking the first time the self-ruled island has integrated unmanned aerial combat vehicles into its joint defense exercises. The maneuvers, overseen by Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, took place on Friday in the southern county of Pingtung, just days before a high-stakes summit in the United States where the island's political future is expected to be discussed.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to meet on September 24. This upcoming summit will be their first face-to-face discussion since May. Beijing, which views democratic Taiwan as a breakaway province and has refused to rule out using military force to annex it, has actively lobbied Trump to adopt a firmer stance against Taiwanese independence.
During Friday's drills, the Taiwanese military simulated defensive operations by launching a variety of anti-air, anti-ship, and anti-landing missiles alongside the newly introduced attack drones. President Lai emphasized that the exercises demonstrated the ongoing modernization of Taiwan's armed forces. He noted that the coordinated deployment of unmanned systems alongside conventional weaponry highlights how the military is adapting to the demands of modern warfare, according to an official statement from his office. The statement did not specify the exact models or types of drones deployed during the Pingtung exercises.
Taiwan has steadily boosted its defense budget in recent years to counter growing threats from Beijing. The island remains heavily dependent on military hardware purchased from the United States, which is legally obligated to assist Taiwan in maintaining its self-defense capabilities. However, these arms transactions have become a central point of contention in diplomatic negotiations between Washington and Beijing. Following his previous meeting with Xi in May, Trump paused a pending $14 billion defense package for Taiwan, describing arms sales as a valuable negotiating chip in discussions with China.
The military preparations are set to continue into next week. Taiwan's armed forces plan to conduct additional drills featuring recently acquired U.S. military technology, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and Stinger missile training simulators.
