Taiwan teams with US firm Kratos to build attack drones to counter China

Taiwan’s military and the U.S.-based defense contractor Kratos Defense successfully conducted a series of joint flight tests for the new Mighty Hornet IV jet-powered attack drone in Oklahoma City on February 5, 2026, to strengthen the island’s defensive capabilities against increasing military pressure from China. During the test campaign at Kratos’ specialized facility, engineers from both parties validated the integration of a Taiwanese-developed mission payload onto the drone platform. This collaborative effort is designed to rapidly deploy large numbers of low-cost, high-performance unmanned systems to serve as a deterrent against potential cross-strait aggression. The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan’s premier military research body, described the successful trials as a significant milestone in U.S.-Taiwan defense technology cooperation. By leveraging American aerospace infrastructure and Taiwanese mission systems, the partnership aims to drastically shorten development timelines. The Mighty Hornet IV is specifically engineered to function as a low-cost, cruise missile-like weapon, capable of conducting long-range preemptive strikes and rapid countermeasures if a conflict were to arise. This strategic pivot toward "asymmetric warfare" comes as Beijing intensifies its "grey zone" tactics, which involve near-daily incursions of warplanes and warships into the territory surrounding Taiwan. Data from Taiwan’s defense ministry indicates that the detection of Chinese military aircraft operating near the island rose by 23% in 2025 compared to the previous year. To counter this, Taipei is prioritizing the acquisition of numerous, disposable unmanned systems to complicate Chinese operational planning and provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional, high-priced military hardware.