Taipei: A U.S. think tank has urged Taiwan to adopt a “hellscape” strategy that would flood the Taiwan Strait with drones and other uncrewed systems to deter a potential invasion by China.

According to Focus Taiwan, the Center for a New American Security in its report “Hellscape for Taiwan” argues that Taiwan’s current asymmetric defense approach, often referred to as the “porcupine strategy,” requires evolution to counter the growing capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army. The concept of a “hellscape” involves saturating the air and waters around Taiwan with drones and other uncrewed platforms capable of striking invading forces from multiple domains simultaneously.

The strategy outlined in the study suggests employing long-range aerial, surface, and undersea drones to target Chinese ships and aircraft before they reach Taiwan’s shores. As invading forces advance, additional layers of mines, loitering munitions, and short-range systems would disrupt and weaken troops attempting amphibious landings.
The objective, as per the report, is to deny China air and sea superiority and impose significant losses to make an invasion prohibitively expensive.

The report emphasizes Taiwan’s need to be prepared to defend itself in the early stages of a cross-Taiwan Strait conflict, when external assistance might be delayed or contested. Instead of depending on high-end, limited-number platforms such as advanced fighter jets or large surface ships, the hellscape strategy focuses on quantity, dispersion, and resilience.

The study calls for the mass production of affordable drones, including “long-range strike systems” and “first-person-view attack drones,” capable of operating in contested communications environments. It also recommends building domestic manufacturing capacity and integrating uncrewed systems into a cohesive doctrine linking sensors, shooters, and command networks.

While China has rapidly modernized its navy, air force, and missile forces over the past two decades, the report notes significant uncerta
inties about its ability to execute and sustain a large-scale operation, particularly in the face of Taiwanese counterattacks and potential U.S. intervention. Taiwan’s government has devised plans consistent with the report’s recommendations, including a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.99 billion) special defense budget for 2026-2033, to purchase over 200,000 unmanned aerial vehicles and 1,000-plus unmanned surface vehicles, many produced domestically.

Regarding Chinese attack options, the report outlines several scenarios. One involves a quarantine or blockade to cut off Taiwan’s trade and energy supplies, pressuring its government into political concessions without a risky amphibious assault. Another possibility is a limited seizure of Taipei-controlled offshore islands, testing international resolve while avoiding the high costs of invading the main island. A full invasion would likely occur only if Chinese leaders deemed peaceful unification implausible and military conditions favorable, the report conc
ludes.