How underwater drones could shape a potential Taiwan-China conflict

The report's authors detail a number of ways that use of drones in any South China Sea conflict would differ starkly from current practices, most notably in the war in Ukraine, often called the first full-scale drone war. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, drones have been aiding in what military experts describe as the first three steps of the "kill chain"--finding, targeting, and tracking a target--as well as in delivering explosives. The drones have a short life span, since they are often shot down or made useless by frequency jamming devices that prevent pilots from controlling them. Quadcopters--the commercially available drones often used in the war--last just three flights on average, according to the report. Drones like these would be far less useful in a possible invasion of Taiwan.