Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te and senior officials late last week conducted a drill simulating their response to an attempted “decapitation strike” aimed at eliminating the island’s leadership, drawing parallels to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. An armored personnel carrier transported President Lai and his staff…
Richard Sanders, Siem Reap The Pentagon is developing a nuclear strategy that would give the US president a wider range of nuclear options in a potential conflict with Russia or China, NBC reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the plans. The proposed approach would reportedly place greater emphasis on shorter-range tactical nuclear weapons in…
Richard Sanders, Kampot Amid escalating U.S.-Iran hostilities, Tehran’s strategic deployment of naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz highlights growing threats to global energy routes. From Taiwan’s viewpoint, these tactics underscore the need to reduce dependence on vulnerable maritime chokepoints and prepare for broader economic disruptions. Iran has effectively used naval mines to restrict access…
Jake Saunders, Manila The top American diplomat in Taiwan has urged the island to become a “hornet’s nest” of drones, calling unmanned systems a vital deterrent against potential Chinese aggression. Speaking at a drone forum in Taichung, Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, described UAVs as a “game-changing opportunity” to bolster Taiwan’s…
Frank Williams, Okinawa Taiwan’s military is on schedule to finish its next-generation integrated air defense intelligence system by the end of this year, with plans to deploy the advanced network as early as next year pending approval of additional funding, a military source said. The system merges two major domestic initiatives: the Huanzhan Project (寰展計畫),…
Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh Corey Wetherholt, founder of CivDiv LLC and a former U.S. Marine Corps infantryman, has emerged as a leading voice on small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) and first-person view (FPV) drone operations. His career trajectory—from conventional Marine infantry to guerrilla-style operations in Iraq, early advisory roles in Ukraine, and hands-on FPV engineering—mirrors…
Frank Williams, Ho Chi Minh City Taiwan’s Cabinet has approved a draft bill to fund a major expansion of its domestic drone industry, but political divisions in the legislature threaten to delay or derail the initiative. The Executive Yuan last Thursday signed off on a proposal authorizing a special budget of up to NT$210 billion…
Brian Lupus, Subic Bay The US will set up at least two domestic testing ranges that mimic battlefield conditions in Ukraine, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said on Tuesday. Driscoll said defense contractors will have access to the sites, where the Army and industry “can start to do much more aggressive testing,” according to DefenseScoop. The US has…
Frank Williams, Kampot Taiwan has launched approximately 36 US-supplied missiles into the water off the coast of mainland China, in a first-of-its-kind live-fire drill on the self-governing island’s west coast. The exercise comes amid mounting tensions between Taipei and Beijing, which considers Taiwan sovereign Chinese territory. The drills took place on Wednesday and involved the firing…
Richard Sanders, Phnom Penh As the U.S. military embraces AI and prepares for large-scale war, cognitive warfare is emerging as a favored concept for disrupting enemy decision-making. Supporters say it could help deliver faster, sharper battlefield choices and a decisive information edge. Critics, however, argue the idea is largely a rebranding of older psychological and…