US Official: US to Deploy Drone 'Hellscape' if PRC Were to Invade Taiwan

Facts

• The commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command has warned that if the PRC invades Taiwan, the US will use a large, lethal drone force to create a 'Hellscape' and buy time to respond.¹
• In an opinion piece published in The Washington Post on Monday, Admiral Samuel Paparo said the strategy to deter China includes deploying thousands of unmanned systems, including submarines and drones.²
• Paparo argued that by turning the Taiwan Strait into an 'unmanned hellscape,' Washington intended to make Chinese troops' lives 'utterly miserable for a month.'³
• He added that the US seeks to obstruct China's stated goal of conducting a 'short, sharp war' to seize Taiwan before the world can act.²
• Last year, the US Department of Defense launched the Replicator initiative to deploy thousands of autonomous systems, including inexpensive and reliable drones, that can overwhelm enemies.⁴
• This comes after Taiwan revealed a $25.8M sea-drone program, inspired by Ukraine's use of the weapons, and counter China's Soviet-designed landing crafts and cargo ship fleet.⁵

Sources: ¹South China Morning Post, ²Washington Post, ³Business Insider, ⁴Firstpost and ⁵Newsweek.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by C4ISRNet. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Kyiv used drones as lethal weapons to acquire intelligence and strike its targets with incredible accuracy. It faced challenges with Chinese drones, prompting a shift to the more secure and capable American options. The US must invest heavily in drone manufacturing and unmanned platforms to support its allies, ensuring military superiority in a rules-based order.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Chinadaily. Washington must resist meddling in the Taiwan Strait and immediately stop sending wrong signals to the pro-independence forces on the island. The US must focus on solving its domestic problems first before extending support to Taiwan's separatist leaders, which will only bring inconceivable suffering to the Taiwanese people. Washington simply needs to abide by its agreed-upon one-China policy.
• Technoskeptic narrative, as provided by Los Angeles Times. The US and Chinese militaries are ushering in AI-driven drone swarms that overwhelm adversaries. These swarms could revolutionize warfare and trigger a dangerous arms race. Despite calls for cooperation, fierce competition persists between the two nations. All this deeply echoes all the fears of the Cold War with 21st century technology.

Predictions