Latest news with #militaryTechnology
Wall Street Journal
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
Taiwan Looks to New Sea-Drone Tech to Repel China
SUAO, Taiwan—Taiwan is accelerating efforts to develop a high-tech fleet of naval drones that military planners see as a potential game-changer in the island's ability to fend off a possible Chinese invasion. Drones are transforming warfare and spurring military strategists to rethink long-held assumptions about defense. Both Ukraine and Israel have used drones to devastating effect in recent weeks.
South China Morning Post
20-06-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Chinese engineers bring artillery-launched drones from concept to life
After 12 years of technical hurdles and scepticism, China has successfully tested artillery-launched drones capable of surviving the crushing load in a 155mm (6 inches) cannon shell. Five live-fire trials at a western test base confirmed the drones endured launch forces exceeding 3,000 times their own weight – comparable to 35 adult African elephants on a person. The advance centres on a pyrotechnic ejection mechanism co-developed by the Shaanxi Applied Physics and Chemistry Research Institute, the Chinese air force, and defence contractor Norinco. This highly reliable but low-cost system orchestrates a sequence of precisely timed detonations to separate the drone from its artillery shell mid-flight while shielding it from aerodynamic damage – all without electronic controls. These drones can 'reach distances exceeding 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) in seconds, multiply flight range, significantly save power consumption and extend loiter time,' the team, led by senior engineer Huang Yunluan, wrote. A look inside at the artillery-launched drone system. Photo: Shaanxi Applied Physics and Chemistry Research Institute First proposed by Chinese military scientists in 2013, a cannon-launching design named Tianyan ('sky eye') gained attention in a new-concept aircraft competition, according to state-run China News Service.
Reuters
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Taking lessons from Ukraine, Taiwan eyes sea drones to counter China
WUSHI, Taiwan, June 13 (Reuters) - Just off the small Taiwan fishing port of Wushi on its Pacific coast, a Taiwanese company is testing what could eventually be a powerful but unglamorous new weapon in the island's military arsenal - sea drones. Used to great effect by Ukraine in the Black Sea against Russia, Taiwan is learning lessons on how it could use sea drones as an effective and low-cost way to fend off any possible Chinese invasion. These drones are uncrewed, remotely controlled small vessels that are packed with explosives and can be guided toward ships or potentially even attack targets in the air. Pushed by the United States, Taiwan has been working to transform its armed forces to be able to wage "asymmetric warfare", using mobile, smaller and often cheaper weapons which still pack a targeted punch, like sea drones. "Uncrewed boats or vehicles have played a very significant role in the Ukraine war," Chen Kuan-ting, a lawmaker for Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) who sits on parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee, told Reuters. "Uncrewed vehicles, whether they are boats or underwater vehicles, can effectively deter China because Taiwan is not the attacking side, we are the defending side," he said. Taiwan's defence ministry's research and development arm, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, has termed the sea drone plan the "Swift and Sudden" project, which so far has a modest budget of around T$800 million ($26.77 million). Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Wednesday sea drones would be included in an additional spending package to be unveiled later this year. Details of that special budget have yet to be announced. William Chen, chairman of the Thunder Tiger company, told Reuters last week on a boat off Wushi while viewing a test of their SeaShark 800 sea drone, which can carry 1,200 kg (2,600 lbs) of explosives and travel up to 500 km (310 miles), that these new weapons present an element of surprise for China. "We can create uncertainty. We can fill the Taiwan Strait with danger and risks. No one knows where these dangers could surface," Chen added. Next week, Thunder Tiger will be among 12 Taiwanese and foreign companies joining an exhibition just down the coast from Wushi arranged by the defence ministry to showcase unmanned surface vehicles that may end up being added to Taiwan's arsenal. Other companies taking part, according to the ministry, include Taiwan navy contractor Lungteh Shipbuilding ( opens new tab and U.S. military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII.N), opens new tab. "Drones is a top priority for both the United States and Taiwan. Obviously the conflict in Ukraine is focusing minds on what the next generation of warfare will look like," said Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, who is leading a U.S. defence industry delegation to Taiwan this week, including drone makers. China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has ramped up its military pressure over the past five years, including staging half a dozen rounds of war games. Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Taiwan has been studying how Ukraine has deployed drones to successfully offset Russia's advantage on the battlefield and has enlisted commercial drone companies, including Thunder Tiger, to help. Ukraine has deployed sea drones not only to attack ships in Russia's Black Sea fleet, but also to shoot down aircraft. Taiwan's navy is dwarfed by that of China with its aircraft carriers and ballistic missile submarines, though the country lacks recent combat experience. China's last successful large-scale amphibious assault was in 1950 when it seized Hainan island at the tail end of the Chinese civil war, with troops ferried across on junks. Peter Chen, a drone expert and executive director of Taiwan security think tank TTRDA, said Taiwan can undoubtedly make world-class sea drones. "But when it comes to the application, how to turn them into top-notch weapons, it is not the responsibility of private companies. The views of government and the military on how to properly integrate the weapons into the battle strategy, that needs more thinking," he said.
BBC News
07-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Pictures reveal secrets of former RAF Neatishead Cold War base
Pictures have revealed the interior of a former Cold War radar station believed to be the country's longest Neatishead in Norfolk was downgraded from an RAF station 20 years ago but is still a military air defence radar of the remaining site, including a nuclear bunker, was sold off to tech entrepreneur William Sachiti, who opened its doors to the media."I've owned this place for about three years, and no, I've actually not explored a lot of it," he admitted. "I think there's about 40% of the bunker I haven't seen yet but what I have done is made sure I've got in touch with people that used to work here to make sure the place is kept alive enough as we slowly refurbish it and bring it back to life."Originally a World War II base, the site was an important part of Britain's air defences during the Cold War. Mr Sachiti said he was using the site to develop technology aimed at covering mobile "notspots" - areas with poor or non-existent phone or data it has emerged that last month the defence secretary issued a High Court writ against Mr Sachiti and his company, Academy of details are not currently available, but Mr Sachiti said: "This is unrelated to any of our current or previous with the MOD, and unrelated to any radar tech which was recently announced."There was a minor dispute which was resolved but I cannot comment on the details."The Ministry of Defence has been asked for comment. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Arab News
03-06-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Spain cancels contract for missiles built by Israeli subsidiary
MADRID: Spain has canceled a deal for anti-tank missile systems that were to be manufactured in Madrid by a subsidiary of an Israeli company, in a bid to move away from Israeli military technology, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. The decision will affect the license for 168 SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missile systems with an estimated value of 285 million euros ($325 million). The systems would have been developed in Spain by Pap Tecnos, a Madrid-based subsidiary of Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, according to local press. 'The goal is clear ... a total disconnection from Israeli technology,' government spokesperson Pilar Alegria said, adding the government is studying 'the effects of the cancelation.' Israel's Defense Ministry referred questions on the decision to Rafael, which said it wasn't aware of the cancelation. Pap Tecnos, located on the outskirts of Madrid, did not comment. Spain approved the deal on Oct. 3, 2023, four days before an insurgent assault led by Hamas on southern Israel that sparked a devastating war in Gaza. Authorities argued at the time that the systems used by the Spanish forces were obsolete and should be replaced with up-to-date versions like those used by allied armies. Spain's leftist government says it stopped exporting arms to Israel as of Oct. 2, 2023, but there were reports that some shipments slipped through. The US late last year opened an investigation into whether NATO ally Spain denied port entry to at least three cargo vessels reportedly transporting US weapons to Israel. Spain formally recognized a Palestinian state in May 2024 in a coordinated effort with Norway and Ireland. A month later, Spain became the first European country to ask the top UN court, the International Court of Justice, permission to join a case mounted by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza.
