US plans ‘Hellscape’ drone swarm in a Taiwan war

The US plans to turn the Taiwan Strait into a “Hellscape” of drone swarms against a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan, buying time for US and allied intervention to assist the beleaguered self-governing island in a war scenario.

This month, The Washington Post reported that the US Indo-Pacific Command, led by Admiral Samuel Paparo, has announced a “Hellscape” strategy to use drone swarms to thwart any potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

According to the report, the Hellscape plan responds to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s directive that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) be combat-ready to take Taiwan by force, if necessary, by 2027.

The US plan involves using numerous unmanned drones, submarines, surface ships and other classified capabilities to swarm the Taiwan Strait to slow down Chinese forces for a month to allow the US and its allies to mount a full response.

In line with the Hellscape strategy’s Fabian approach, Asia Times noted in a February 2024 report that Taiwan was most vulnerable to defeat in the first 90 days of a Chinese invasion and would most likely fall quickly without a US and allied military intervention.

However, the Washington Post notes that the PLA’s rapid expansion and US military budget constraints present significant challenges to implementing the Hellscape strategy.

For instance, Asia Times has noted that the US Navy’s drone budget would fall to US$101.8 million in 2025, down from $172 million this year. Also, the US Navy remains wedded to building major combatants such as destroyers and submarines instead of fully embracing drone technology.

In contrast, China has 232 times the US shipbuilding capacity, making it urgent for the latter to invest in unmanned tech as a force multiplier to