00:00Planes, boats, and now dogs?
00:02Taiwan's Defense Ministry is looking to expand its use of unmanned vehicles across all facets
00:07of the armed forces, with Vice President Bi Kim Shao recently visiting a local company
00:12developing quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles, robot dogs.
00:16The Army has already started conducting research and evaluations on the bots.
00:21While these may be the most eye-catching drones the Defense Ministry wants to acquire, they
00:25are far from the focus.
00:26The Ministry has announced its intentions to acquire more than 200,000 aerial drones,
00:30more than 1,000 drone boats, and counter-drone systems.
00:34Some of these would be domestically developed and manufactured, while others would come from
00:37foreign suppliers, like U.S.-based Anduril.
00:40Experts say these drones could fulfill a variety of battlefield roles.
00:43The drone, I mean unmanned systems, is important to the future of the battlefield.
00:49Robidogs can use both reconnaissance and even use to engage.
00:56However, some experts also say that while the financial support from the Ministry is welcome,
01:01the domestic industry needs further assistance to fulfill its potential.
01:05Don't you know the
01:09drone systems are really far away from PLA, they are in advance.
01:10It's not the case, not the case, but the
01:11military has no chance to do any work.
01:12Do not have any work, don't you know the
01:13other people?
01:14Do not have any work.
01:15Do not have any work.
01:16Do not have any work.
01:17Do not have any work.
01:18Do not have any work.
01:19Do not have any work.
01:20Taiwan's drone system is very, very far, far away from PLAs. They are in advance.
01:28So if it only depends on Taiwan's own technology, I think it is impossible to overcome these gaps.
01:36Looking at lessons from the war in Ukraine, it is clear that drones are becoming an important
01:40part of modern combat. How Taiwan's industry and armed forces integrate those lessons will
01:45be a major factor in deterrence and defense. Andy Shua and Larry Siano for Taiwan Plus.
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