Drone defense systems lag, audit finds

Taiwan's efforts to develop remote-controlled drone defense systems are significantly behind schedule and suffer from critical deficiencies, a National Audit Office report revealed. The systems struggle to detect or disrupt newer Chinese drone technologies and satellite navigation networks, leaving Taiwan vulnerable.

“

Programs to develop remote-controlled drone defense systems have fallen behind schedule and show significant deficiencies that leave them vulnerable to newer Chinese drone technologies and satellite navigation networks, the National Audit Office’s fiscal 2026 general financial statements showed.

The report highlighted that the commissioned systems cannot detect drones operating on the 5.1GHz frequency band, a band China began utilizing in 2023. Furthermore, they fail to detect certain frequencies of the Beidou 3 satellite and lack viable countermeasures against fiber optics guided drones and those employing artificial intelligence for navigation. The air force's current anti-drone measures, primarily relying on disruption and signal jamming, are deemed insufficient against these advanced threats.

“

NCSIST would have to conduct more research and development to ensure that its system can detect drones on the 5.1GHz band, the report said.

Compounding these technical shortcomings are substantial delays plaguing the program. The audit cited construction setbacks, difficulties in acquiring necessary components, and holdups in the bidding process as major contributors to the project's tardiness. As of late last year, system operations and trials had not been completed, indicating a significant lag in development and deployment.

“

The report warned that the air force’s anti-drone measures, which rely primarily on disruption and signal jamming, might be insufficient to counter newer drone types, such as the FOG-D and AI-guided drones.

Despite detecting numerous drones near military bases and targeting some for jamming, the report noted a lack of follow-up investigations by police. The air force has stated it will evaluate enhancing its tracking capabilities for new frequencies and will work with the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology to implement necessary adjustments.

“

The program has been hit by major delays due to construction setbacks, component acquisition issues and project bidding holdups, the report said.