Taiwan holds first joint military drills using attack drones ahead of Trump-Xi summit in the US
President Lai Ching-te said the drills tested precision firing and showed Taiwan’s forces are adapting to modern warfare as China’s threat rises.
- On Friday, President Lai Ching-te inspected precision-missile live-fire drills at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County, marking the first time the military incorporated multiple types of attack drones into joint combat operations.
- Driven by rising threats from China, Lai has prioritized defense modernization, including drone development and increased spending, while studying conflict lessons from Ukraine and the Middle East.
- The exercises featured Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles, Tien Kung III systems, and Lockheed Martin-made HIMARS rockets; Lai noted that coordinating unmanned vehicles with conventional weapons reflects the military's adaptation to modern combat needs.
- Accompanying the president, Defense Minister Wellington Koo and Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling emphasized the integration of the Coast Guard into defense planning to ensure the force can support the navy during potential wartime.
- Lai stated that the military "has the confidence and capability to defend national sovereignty and fulfil its responsibility for regional peace and stability," demonstrating national resolve to the public and international community.
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Key news items from VOA's "Today's Focus" on September 19, 2026, include: President Trump: Will make a major decision on whether to "completely eliminate" the Iranian regime; Taiwan holds live-fire missile drills ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting, including attack drones for the first time; Asia Society expert Orville Schell: A conflict in the Taiwan Strait could lead to World War III; With the UN General Assembly approaching, Taiwan's allies are ca…
Lai inspects joint missile live-fire drills
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday inspected joint precision missile live-fire drills at the Jioupeng Base (九鵬基地) in Pingtung County, where multiple types of attack drones took part in joint combat exercises for the first time.The three-day drills, which concluded yesterday, featured indigenous H
Taiwan stages missile and drone drills before Trump-Xi summit on China tensions
Taiwan held missile and drone exercises before the Trump-Xi meeting in the US. The display underlined Taipei's push to modernise defences as cross-Strait tensions and arms sales remain sensitive.
Rome, 18 Sep. (askanews) - Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te went to a military base in Pingtung to attend three days of live-fire drills. "This is the first time that the armed forces have integrated different types of attack drones into joint operations," the president said during a press conference, stating that these exercises aim to demonstrate that the armed forces are ready and able to defend Taiwan's sovereignty.
Associated Press News
Taiwan holds first joint military drills using attack drones ahead of Trump-Xi summit in the US
Taiwan’s president has overseen military drills featuring missiles and drones on Friday, ahead of a planned summit next week between the U.S. and Chinese leaders in which the fate of the self-ruled island will be discussed.
Taiwan holds first joint military drills using attack drones ahead of Trump-Xi summit
Taiwan’s president has overseen military drills featuring missiles and drones on Friday, ahead of a planned summit next week between the U.S. and Chinese leaders in which the fate of the self-ruled island will be discussed
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