China conducts anti-drone drills, uses missiles to neutralize swarm

China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) recently conducted naval exercises focused on countering swarms of suicide drones, reflecting a shift in military strategy around the Taiwan Strait. The drills, part of the PLA’s 2026 training cycle, simulated realistic strike scenarios where multiple waves of low-flying unmanned attack drones attempted to breach maritime defenses. The PLA’s “red force” used ship-borne missiles and interception systems to neutralize these drone swarms, demonstrating layered counter-drone capabilities against coordinated, large-scale unmanned threats. The emphasis on drone swarms underscores their growing importance in asymmetric warfare, particularly for Taiwan, which views suicide and loitering munitions as critical to its defense against the numerically superior PLA. Taiwan has invested in procuring and developing such drones and advanced counter-drone technologies, including electronic warfare and directed energy weapons, to disrupt potential PLA attacks. This approach aligns with Taiwan’s “porcupine defense” strategy, aiming to impose high costs on any aggress