China Ground Force expands maritime strike role with attack drones | Taiwan News | Aug. 13, 2026 15:20

China’s People’s Liberation Army Ground Force is expanding its maritime strike capability by using attack drones aimed at unmanned surface vessels, according to military coverage cited by USNI News. A drill staged last week showed KVD002 unmanned combat aerial vehicles hitting fast-moving drone boats with missiles, with at least 13 drones assigned to a Ground Force unit. The training underscores the Ground Force’s growing role in land-based anti-ship operations around Taiwan, where USNI News says recent exercises demonstrated similar capabilities. The report adds that a larger drone fleet and missile launchers with specialized long-range munitions could support operations related to a Taiwan invasion or blockade. Taiwan is also scaling up drone production and aims to make 100,000 drones per month by 2030, with a proposed NT$210 billion (US$6.6 billion) budget over five years.