Taiwan drone defences fall short against Beijing’s evolving technology, audit reveals

Taiwan's efforts to build a modern counter-drone system have come under scrutiny after an official audit revealed technical shortcomings and procurement failures. The audit, conducted by Taiwan's Audit Office, found that the NT$3.55 billion (US$111 million) fixed-site counter-drone programme could not detect or jam newer drone frequencies used by the People's Liberation Army.

The system also failed to cover parts of the BeiDou-3 satellite navigation system and had little capability against emerging threats such as fibre-optic and AI-guided drones. The audit found the programme was six to 12 months behind schedule due to construction delays and component shortages, and warned that the shortcomings could undermine protection of military bases.

The collapse of a separate NT$980 million procurement programme for 26 fixed-site counter-drone systems, following repeated testing failures, further fuelled concerns about Taipei's ability to match Beijing's rapidly evolving drone technology. The Defence Minister attributed the system's failure to its inability to effectively integrate data from its search and passive radar systems when faced with multiple waves of drones.

The ministry has acknowledged the technology issues and stated that it is accelerating work on next-generation counter-drone technologies. However, defence analysts say Taiwan's reliance on electronic jamming and slow procurement process could prove problematic as drone technology continues to evolve faster than conventional military procurement systems.