The facts
Taiwan conducted its first joint combat drills involving multiple attack drones on Friday, September 18, 2026, according to the Associated Press. President William Lai Ching‑te said the coordinated use of unmanned vehicles with conventional weapons showed how Taiwan is adapting to modern warfare. The exercise in southern Pingtung County also featured launches of anti‑air, anti‑ship and anti‑landing missiles. Lai’s office did not specify which drone types were tested. The AP notes that China claims Taiwan as its territory and has not renounced the use of force. Taiwan has increased defense spending and continues to rely on U.S. arms sales. The drills precede a September 24 summit in the United States between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the army plans further exercises next week with U.S.–made HIMARS rockets and Stinger missile simulators.
Our take
Well, shit. Nothing says we’re a peaceful people committed to regional stability like rolling out a fucking drone squadron for a coordinated live‑fire dick‑waving contest right before your much larger, deeply pissed‑off neighbor sits down for coffee with the two guys who decide your fate. President Lai is bragging that using drones with missiles shows adaptation to modern warfare. No surprise there – when a superpower that claims you as its own spare province says it hasn’t ruled out force, you start buying toys that go “pew‑pew” from the sky. The military launched anti‑air, anti‑ship and anti‑landing missiles, covering every vector except a ground assault by angry badgers. They even fired Stinger missile simulators, because why not practice shooting down imaginary aircraft when real diplomatic planes are about to land for a summit? The timing is the military equivalent of doing push‑ups in your ex’s driveway right before they go on a date with a bigger partner. The September 24 Trump‑Xi summit now has fresh footage of Taiwan playing with American‑made HIMARS systems – a middle finger launched from a multiple‑rocket launcher. It’s a performance of “strategic ambiguity” so loud it becomes strategic bullshit. Taiwan’s increased defense spending and reliance on U.S. arms sales are now on display as a flashiest show of force, right as the two leaders who control its fate are about to chat. The only thing demonstrated is a world‑class talent for poking the dragon with an expensive, drone‑mounted stick.
