A new defense report argues that Taiwan must overhaul its current “porcupine” strategy and adopt a drone-heavy asymmetric defense concept to counter a potential invasion by the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
In Hellscape for Taiwan: Rethinking Asymmetric Defense, Stacie Pettyjohn and Molly Campbell outline a self-sufficient strategy that does not rely on U.S. military intervention. Instead, they propose creating an uncrewed “hellscape” using large numbers of aerial, surface, and underwater drones combined with land-based missiles, mines, and mobile air defenses to deny the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) air and sea superiority.
The concept centers on four defensive layers, targeting invasion forces from over the horizon to the shoreline. Drones and missiles would first disrupt and thin Chinese fleets at long range, then mine and slow landing forces closer to shore, before concentrating short-range strikes and passive beach defenses to destroy landing craft during the final approach.
The authors argue Taiwan must significantly expand production of long-range attack drones, uncrewed surface and underwater vessels, and short-range systems, while also boosting mobile air defense and counter-drone capabilities.
A key challenge is industrial capacity. The report notes Taiwan produces an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 drones annually, far below the scale needed to execute the concept. It recommends increasing domestic drone production, reallocating defense funding away from large traditional platforms, and strengthening supply chains.
Beyond hardware, the report calls for updated operational doctrine and training, including a formal review of drone warfare concepts and the creation of “Drone Labs” to refine tactics.
The authors conclude that massed uncrewed systems, integrated into a layered defense-in-depth strategy, could enable Taiwan to repel a Chinese amphibious assault at the water’s edge.
