(Reposted from Youth Daily News — Special Report by Sun Chien-Ping)
In recent years, the Russia-Ukraine War and ongoing geopolitical conflicts have profoundly reshaped the nature of modern warfare. Unmanned systems have emerged as a critical asymmetric capability on today’s battlefield. This year, the Joint Basic Military Training Program for the ROC Armed Forces’ nine military academies introduced a “Basic Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Operations” course for the first time. The new course moves beyond the conventional framework of basic military training while significantly enhancing cadets’ technological proficiency and their ability to respond effectively to rapidly changing battlefield situations.
Army Academy cadet Yeh Kuang-Kai noted that the ROC Armed Forces have introduced various UAV systems in recent years. These systems are capable of performing a wide range of missions, including strike operations, reconnaissance, and intelligence gathering, while also enhancing coordinated operations on the battlefield. UAVs have therefore become an indispensable component of modern weapon systems and combat capabilities. For this reason, developing proper UAV operating skills and technical proficiency during the initial stage of military training is particularly important.
Yeh expressed his hope of building a solid foundation in UAV operations during basic military training. In addition to mastering fundamental takeoff, landing, and flight-control skills, he hopes to gradually accumulate practical experience throughout the training process and gain a deeper understanding of the tactical employment and operational roles of UAVs on the battlefield. In the future, when serving in operational units, he hopes to transform the knowledge and skills acquired through training into tangible combat capabilities that contribute to safeguarding national security.
Naval Academy cadet Tsai Ping-Chen said that incorporating UAV training into basic military training demonstrates how military education is evolving with the times. More importantly, the course helps cultivate the technology-oriented operational mindset required of modern military officers. He explained that UAVs can complement naval vessels in a variety of missions, ranging from battlefield reconnaissance and intelligence collection to conducting strikes against hostile vessels. Such capabilities can enhance operational effectiveness while reducing risks and potential casualties among military personnel.