US and Taiwan test new attack drones to counter China

TAIPEI – U.S. defense contractor Kratos Defense and the Taiwanese military have successfully tested a new jet-powered attack drone, a move intended to rapidly expand the island’s ability to deploy large numbers of low-cost UAVs amid rising threats from China.

In a statement released Feb. 5, Kratos confirmed that engineers from both sides integrated a Taiwanese system onto the Mighty Hornet IV attack drone at a company facility in Oklahoma City. Kratos described the test as a "significant milestone" that could lead to deeper collaboration with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST).

The joint effort comes as Taiwan seeks to broaden security ties with the United States through the co-development and production of weaponry. NCSIST characterized the project as a "new milestone in U.S.-Taiwan defense technology cooperation" designed to shorten development timelines.

The partnership aims to meet Taiwan’s operational requirements for "rapid counter-attacks and long-range preemptive strikes." The Mighty Hornet IV is being developed as a low-cost weapon system with capabilities similar to a cruise missile.

The collaborative testing of unmanned aerial systems between Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) on U.S. soil marks a fundamental shift in the Washington-Taipei security architecture. This move signals a transition from a traditional buyer-seller relationship toward a model of joint development and co-production. More than a mere procurement deal, the partnership reflects a deepening of strategic trust and a clear message to Beijing regarding the United States' commitment to Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities.

Tactically, this cooperation serves as a concrete operationalization of Taiwan’s "porcupine defense" doctrine. By pivoting away from costly, conventional prestige platforms, Taipei is increasingly prioritizing high-volume, low-cost asymmetric assets designed to make a cross-strait invasion prohibitively expensive and unpredictable. The integration of long-range, cost-effective loitering munitions—such as the Mighty Hornet IV—aligns perfectly with this philosophy, providing Taiwan with the capability to execute preemptive strikes against maritime or littoral targets.

For the broader Indo-Pacific, particularly nations with overlapping claims in the South China Sea, the Kratos-NCSIST venture provides a critical case study in regional security. Taiwan’s ability to leverage international technical partnerships to build asymmetric deterrence offers a potential blueprint for defense planners in Hanoi and other regional capitals seeking to counter-balance Chinese maritime assertiveness through technological innovation rather than conventional arms races.

For many Vietnamese Americans, particularly those deeply invested in geopolitics and the implications of China’s rise, the strengthening of U.S.-Taiwan defense ties is seen as a welcome development. It reinforces the need for a united front to contain Beijing’s regional expansionism—a sentiment shaped by historical memory and pressing concerns over maritime security in the South China Sea.