Network would protect key infrastructure from incursions by small commercial drones but there are concerns over use of takeover function.
Taiwan’s plan to acquire Israeli “takeover” technology as part of a counter-drone network has set off a debate over its use and the island’s security strategy as it tries to keep pace with rapidly evolving unmanned threats.
At a briefing for suppliers on the procurement requirements earlier this month, Taiwan’s homeland security office outlined specifications for a new system to protect the island’s airports, power plants and other critical infrastructure from incursions by small commercial drones.
The system – separate from the military’s programme – would require equipment capable of electromagnetic jamming and spoofing as well as a takeover function that could seize control of an intruding drone and land it using hacking techniques.
Slides presented by the government-controlled National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan’s top weapons developer, at the November 14 briefing said equipment “must possess decoding functions” for OcuSync versions 2, 3, 4 and 4+ – the drone transmission system used by DJI.
Mainland Chinese company DJI accounts for an estimated 70 to 75 per cent of the global civilian drone market, including Taiwan.
The requirement prompted concern that the government was tailoring specifications around a single commercial brand, and questions over whether decoding DJI’s encrypted links was technologically feasible.
Local media later reported that the DJI-specific requirement could be removed from the tender documents, citing unnamed security officials.
The defence ministry also distanced itself from the requirement, stressing that the NCSIST’s briefing was for civilian critical infrastructure protection, not military procurement.
Taiwan’s military also plans to adopt drone takeover technology, alongside soft- and hard-kill functions.
In a separate government procurement notice on November 3, the defence ministry said it planned to buy 635 counter-drone systems worth NT$9.66 billion (US$307.2 million).
It said the systems would need a jamming range of at least 2km (1.24 miles) in all weather conditions, and that they would also need takeover and spoofing functions. They must also be mountable on light tactical vehicles or civilian platforms and be compatible with naval vessels.
Ma Wen-chun, a Kuomintang lawmaker who sits on the Foreign Affairs and National Defence Committee, said the use of drone takeover technology raised concerns over issues like privacy, property rights, freedom of communication, and the boundaries of criminal investigation.
She said if it was to be introduced for the island’s security then it would need to be clearly set out in legislation when the technology could be used.
“Civilian airspace and ordinary photography activities must not be arbitrarily taken over [by the counter-drone technology],” Ma said.
The KMT lawmaker also questioned the emphasis on OcuSync, saying security planning must be based on big-picture thinking, not brands.
“On the battlefield, Taiwan will face black- and grey-market DIY, modified, protocol-evading and non-DJI [first-person view] drones – not just the commercially available models shown in government slides,” she said.
Po Hung-hui, Taiwan’s defence vice-minister, responded that many drone-related issues still required cross-ministry coordination.
“Any use of takeover functions must be handled prudently,” he said, adding that legislation on drone incursions into protected facilities was being drafted.
In a statement on Monday, the NCSIST said the November 14 briefing was intended only to help critical-infrastructure operators understand requirements. It said the specifications would be submitted to cabinet for approval before they became common procurement standards and stressed that the briefing session was not related to military procurement.
William Wu, chairman of the Taiwan Drone Association, told reporters on Monday that the focus on DJI was understandable given its market dominance, though it was politically sensitive given the tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
He also noted that drone takeover technology would not always work.
“It only works if the target drone’s communications protocol is unencrypted or weak, and most drones have safety features that force them to hover, land or return home when the control link is jammed,” Wu said.
Su Tzu-yun, a senior analyst at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research in Taipei, said the requirement for OcuSync detection should be viewed as “inclusive but not exclusive”.
He said systems that could scan broader spectrums across multiple brands would be more valuable and performance indicators would “not be limited to DJI”.
The drone takeover technology was also the subject of a commentary in Taipei newspaper United Daily News that argued it was labour-intensive and required one operator per target, and manual retrieval after landing.
It said that in wartime, swarming attacks, low-altitude incursions or explosive-laden drones would still require hard-kill methods. It also warned that guiding a drone carrying explosives into a friendly facility using takeover technology would be tantamount to “leading the wolf into the house”.
The debate comes as Taiwan prepares for its largest-ever drone procurement. The defence ministry is set to buy 48,750 drones in the next two years as part of a broader effort to boost the island’s asymmetric capabilities.
The Armaments Bureau will brief suppliers on the tender on November 27. All of the drones must be produced or assembled in Taiwan, with no components from mainland China allowed, while companies with capital from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau are prohibited from taking part.
Five types of drones are included in the plan: immersive first-person view drones, bomb-dropping multirotor drones, medium-range loitering munitions, small loitering munitions, and littoral reconnaissance drones.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China, to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including its main international partner the United States, do not recognise self-governed Taiwan as an independent state. However, Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the island by force and is legally bound to supply it with weapons to defend itself.