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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| See now, Act now: Taiwan needs to solve its maritime domain awareness problem |
| 2026-08-27 |
| [USNI] China is running a structured probing campaign to map Taiwan’s maritime response latencies. To combat this and get qualified aircraft over the Strait, Taiwan needs contractor-operated ISR services. By Kitsch Liao and F.S. Mei Approximately $2.45 trillion in trade—and the semiconductor production capacity upon which the world’s digital infrastructure depends—passes through the Taiwan Strait every year. Taiwan needs to see into its waters clearly enough to detect maritime infiltration and respond before a gray zone action becomes a fait accompli. Yet that architecture currently does not exist. A near-term solution is available. It does not require new formations, new legislation, or capital expenditure that strains Taipei’s defense budget. It only requires authorizing a contractor-owned, contractor-operated (COCO) fixed-wing airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) program and getting qualified aircraft with military-grade sensors into the air over Taiwan’s maritime approaches. Contractor-operated ISR services have long been used internationally to enhance persistent surveillance without tying up high-end assets, including by the U.S. Navy. The good news for Taiwan is that such a capability already exists in the private sector. The question is whether authorities will include it in their Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience solution to combat gray zone threats from the sea. More at the link Related: Taiwan: 2026-08-25 Florida-led operation rescues 163 children around globe in historic state sweep, hunts suspected predators Taiwan: 2026-08-19 China completes first stage of work at disputed South China Sea reef, images show Taiwan: 2026-08-18 Forget SpaceX, a giant tech firm is eyeing record-shattering $3trillion stock market launch as investors line up for an 'extraordinary bet' |
| Posted by:badanov |