Taiwan looks to autonomous swarms to counter Beijing’s grey-zone pressure

Taiwan is exploring autonomous drone swarms to counter Chinese "grey-zone" pressures in maritime surveillance, according to the Ocean Affairs Council. Researchers from National Cheng Kung University have successfully simulated the coordination of 20 drones, marking a shift from managing individual aircraft to coordinating multiple groups.

The project focuses on three US-made VTOL drones - the JUMP 20, V-BAT, and Flexrotor - and incorporates AI, flight dynamics, and swarm-control technologies. The system would allow drones to autonomously allocate missions, plan routes, and coordinate movements, while providing persistent surveillance and avoiding collisions. The next phase involves hardware-in-the-loop testing and flight trials over maritime areas to assess reliability under various conditions.

Taiwan's coast guard plans to expand its unmanned aircraft fleet and train personnel to operate these systems, with a budget of NT$1.2 billion (US$39 million) allocated for 12 V-BATs and six command-and-control systems. The initiative aims to strengthen maritime domain awareness and develop integrated aerial and maritime coastguard operations.