Drone tests in Alaska reveal US lagging Chinese UAV tech
阿拉斯加無人機演練揭示技術劣於中國
| TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US Department of Defense conducted a four-day exercise in Alaska in June focused on testing one-way drone prototypes, revealing that the US military and domestic drone makers may be falling behind Chinese drone technology.
The exercise, funded by the Department of Defense, was part of an effort to enhance US military drone capabilities. During the tests, drones attempted to strike designated targets while soldiers used electronic warfare equipment to jam and disrupt their operations, evaluating the drones' performance under signal interference, per The New York Times. However, the tests also exposed gaps in the US military's drone manufacturing, soldier training, and defense systems. In one of the tests, a drone made by Dragoon identified and hit an armored personnel carrier that was not the intended target. Another drone from AeroVironment crashed into a mountain after losing GPS navigation. By contrast, one standout performer was Neros’ small quadcopter drone, the Archer, which successfully evaded electronic jamming during the test. Neros, which has a branch in Ukraine for field testing, produces around 18,000 Archers annually. CEO Soren Monroe-Anderson said the company aims to ramp up production to one million units per year to compete with Chinese manufacturers. The US military's Defense Innovation Unit aims to develop drones capable of autonomous flight, AI-powered target recognition, and automatic strike capabilities, allowing them to carry out missions even if communications with operators are lost. However, Trent Emeneker, DIU’s Autonomy Portfolio project manager, acknowledged the technology still faces challenges and that the US military is not fully prepared for drone-centric warfare. In July, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a series of reforms aimed at closing the gap with China. He pointed out that outdated procurement rules and complex approval processes were major barriers preventing the military from acquiring drones and training soldiers effectively. Hegseth rescinded restrictive policies that had hindered production and limited access to critical drone technologies. He said the defense department will shift procurement and operational authority from bureaucratic offices to frontline warfighters. These efforts follow an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in June titled “Unleashing American Drone Dominance.” The order directs federal agencies to fast-track approvals for US drone manufacturers and protect the domestic drone supply chain from foreign interference. Despite these moves, building a domestic drone industry capable of meeting military demands will require significant time and investment. While the US has led in developing large combat drones like the Predator and Reaper, modern warfare increasingly relies on swarms of small, low-cost drones, many of which are built with components from China. China's DJI, the world's largest drone manufacturer, accounts for more than 70% of the global commercial drone market. According to Bobby Sakaki, CEO of UAS Nexus, DJI can produce millions of drones annually, more than a hundred times the annual output of any single US company. There are around 500 drone manufacturers in the US, but their combined annual output is under 100,000 units. To help bridge the gap, investors have been pouring funding into American drone companies. For example, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund has invested over US$1 billion in Anduril, a US defense technology firm specializing in advanced autonomous systems. |
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| Carol Yang Taiwan News, Staff Writer | |
| 2025-07-14 |
