Taiwan Should Adopt ‘Hellscape’ Drone Strategy to Deter China’s Invasion: Report

The strategy ‘strengthens deterrence and reduces the likelihood that Beijing would launch an attack in the first place,’ according to the report.

Soldiers stand next to a military unmanned aerial vehicle in Taichung, Taiwan, on Jan. 27, 2026. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan’s current “porcupine” defense strategy is “insufficient” to deter China’s military aggression, and it needs to adopt an operational concept called “hellscape,” which would rely on mass drone deployment for asymmetric defense, according to a new report published by the Washington-based Center for a New American Security (CNAS) on Feb. 26.

The report, titled “Hellscape for Taiwan: Rethinking Asymmetric Defense,” examines a scenario in which China invades Taiwan with a massive amphibious assault across the Taiwan Strait after first bombarding the island.