On Wednesday Taiwan’s military confirmed that drone footage of two Taiwanese soldiers in Kinmen was taken by a Chinese unmanned aerial vehicle. Now the military is working on different methods to prevent this kind of intrusion from happening again.
A video of Taiwanese soldiers throwing rocks at the sky has garnered a lot of attention. Authorities have confirmed that the video shows the soldiers throwing rocks at the UAV, and has caused some in Taiwan to question the country’s defenses against similar incursions.
Defense expert Su Tsu-yun says the military could install anti-aircraft balloons to repel the drones. The aircraft can be damaged if they run into the balloon’s metal wires.
But now there’s also a new secret weapon specifically designed to combat UAVs.
The new weapon aims radio waves at drones, scrambling their radio signal. When the drone realizes it can no longer communicate with its controller, it will return to its base or fall to the ground.
In addition, the defense ministry says next year it will begin installing an anti-UAV system on Taiwan’s outlying islands.
Su says the new system will include radar detection, optical tracking and electromagnetic interference capabilities.
With tensions rising in the Taiwan Strait, authorities are finding new ways to stop Chinese intrusions.