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Strategic Vision vol. 12, no. 55 (April, 2023)
Drone Warfare
Beijing seen likely to rely heavily on UAVs in South China Sea, Taiwan Strait Moh’d Ali Khawaldeh
photo: Conor Minto A Naval Aircrewman observes the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) in international waters of the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands.
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f all the countries in the South China Sea (SCS) with whom China has territorial disputes, Taiwan is especially targeted, because the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers it to be part of Chinese territory. In addition, Taiwan represents the cornerstone of the global competition between the United States and China. In light of the availability of advanced levels of combat and military technology capabilities on both sides, it is worth seeking the most appropriate mechanism for preserving the rights of all parties to the SCS disputes. Currently, each party seems to have resorted to protecting its perceived rights by using combat and reconnaissance drones, a strategy of which the effectiveness has yet to be determined.
China is embroiled in SCS sovereignty disputes with Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, and the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan. While international law has mechanisms for determining the answers to such questions, such as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China predicates its claims on a historical argument, and at present the disputes over the ownership of these islands has not been resolved. Therefore, countries with a foothold in the South China Sea must practice constant vigilance and pay close attention, regularly updating information about the activities of the other side and closely monitoring them. This matter can be cumbersome for countries using traditional tools, and many are seeking more
Dr. Moh’d Ali Khawaldeh is a strategic researcher, a lecturer at the Institute of Management and Logistics Training, and a lecturer at the Royal Police Academy in Jordan.