USNI News – Taiwanese forces mobilized mechanized units, engineering troops and mines across a river estuary crucial for the defense of the island’s capital city during the opening days of Han Kuang 42. Among the paths for a potential Chinese invasion of the island’s capital, the approach from the Tamsui River will be critical for both attacker and defender.

CIMSEC – Operation Spiderweb should haunt Taiwan’s strategic imagination. It demonstrated that cheap, expendable drones can neutralize assets once considered untouchable. For Taipei, the message is urgent: the future battlespace will be saturated by unmanned systems, and deterrence will depend on numbers, resilience, and adaptability. But ambition without follow-through is a liability. Taiwan must move from speeches and declarations toward mass production, component autonomy, doctrinal change, and tightly integrated partnerships, especially with the United States and with Ukraine.

Naval News – On July 24, 2026, the Republic of China (ROC) Navy (Taiwan’s Navy) commissions its first Tuo Chiang-class Batch 2 catamaran corvette.

USNI News – Taiwan President Lai Ching-te reviewed domestic drone industrial efforts last week ahead of his administration’s push for a $6.6 billion attack drone plan to enhance the island’s defense against Chinese aggression.

USNI News – Taiwan’s executive branch pitched a $6.6 billion budget last week for the procurement of more than 200,000 domestically-made unmanned systems designed to defend the island’s shores.

USNI News – Taiwan’s newly acquired American attack drones struck maritime targets for the first time last week along the island’s west coast during live-fire drills designed to validate long-range strike systems that would play a crucial role in a potential invasion of the self-governing island.

Modern War Institute – Discussions regarding the defense of Taiwan increasingly feature the idea that low-cost emerging technologies are an answer to China’s geopolitical position and overwhelming military might. 

Naval News – According to media reports in Taiwan, the Republic of China (ROC) Navy is reportedly considering Japan’s New FFM (also known as Upgraded Mogami-class or 06FFM) design as a possible frigate candidate.

War on the Rocks – The Hellscape concept shifts the strategic calculus. The question is no longer whether Taiwan can win a conventional war against China. The question is whether Beijing can stomach the operational chaos, staggering casualties, and strategic uncertainty that an invasion would bring. By making an assault prohibitively costly and dangerously unpredictable, Taiwan can deter it from happening in the first place.

USNI News – Taiwan received the first batch of an advanced drone order from the U.S. last week that is set to bolster Taipei’s over-the-horizon targeting capabilities.

Breaking Defense – Taiwan’s current approach to defense is unlikely to deter Chinese aggression, and it needs a new operational concept that builds mass and provides operational flexibility but yet remain affordable, according to a new report.

USNI News – Taipei will construct 10 light frigates for air defense and anti-submarine missions between 2028 and 2040, according to recently released procurement documents.

Naval News – Taiwan’s first Indigenous Defence Submarine (IDS), Hai Kun (SS-711), also known as Narwhal, successfully completed its first submerged sea trials on January 29, 2026.

Naval News – Taiwan highlighted its national defense plans against a Chinese invasion during the height of Beijing’s military drills around the island last month, revealing a map detailing potential defense lines and strategies against an attack from the mainland. 

Australian Strategic Policy Institute – Bill Sweetman writes that Ukraine’s massive drone strike against Russian air bases on 1 June should reverberate across all theaters of conflict. But there is one Western Pacific scenario where it could be very relevant indeed: a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Defence Blog – Taiwan’s domestically built Hai Kun submarine experienced a serious hydraulic system failure during sea trials, temporarily leaving the vessel without powered control of its X-shaped stern rudder and forcing sailors to rely on manual steering to avoid an accident, according to an exclusive report by Mirror Media.

(Thanks to Alain)

Defence Blog – Taiwan’s Navy issued a public request for reference materials on a naval suicide drone system, including a USV, portable control station, mobile command vehicle, and relay station. The unmanned vessel must reach at least 35 knots, operate up to 250 nautical miles, and support swarming and jamming-resistant communications.

(Thanks to Alain)

Global Times – The island of Taiwan’s “indigenous” submarine Hai Kun, which the armed forces on the island had confidently claimed would be delivered in November, has not only failed to complete basic underwater navigation tests but has recently been reported to have problems such as “uninstalled anchors” and “unintegrated watertight door systems.” This has drawn sharp criticism within the island for “endangering crew members’ lives.” 

(Thanks to Alain)

USNI News – A Taiwanese drone firm held sea trials with six unmanned surface vessels last month ahead of a roughly $1 billion project that aims to procure up to 1,350 sea drones for coastal defense purposes against a potential Chinese invasion.

USNI News – The following is the Republic of China’s 2025 National Defense Report. 

The War Zone – A long-range kamikaze drone that U.S. firm Kratos is working on together with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) is set to make its maiden flight early next year. The jet-powered Chien Feng IV (Mighty Hornet IV) will feature artificial intelligence (AI) enabled systems and is being developed with a particular eye toward use as an anti-ship weapon. It could also be employed against targets on land and act as a decoy.

Covert Shores – Taiwanese shipbuilder Longteh Shipbuilding has revealed the ‘Black Whale‘ XLUUV at the TADTE2025 (Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition) exhibition in Taipai.

Naval News – Taiwan is now rapidly developing a naval drone capability. Several types have been seen being trialled with a range of armaments. These vessels, known as USVs, could enable Taiwan to disrupt and weaken an invasion fleet headed for the island.

Naval News – Taiwan’s first Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS), Hai Kun (SS-711), successfully completed its maiden sea trial on June 17, according to the vessel’s builder, CSBC Corporation.

The War Zone – Faced with the growing threat of an invasion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Taiwanese military and industrial leaders will hold a two-day demonstration of uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). Scheduled for June 17 and June 18, the demonstration is designed to help speed up the island nation’s maritime drone production