Taiwan tests US-made MQ-9B drones to counter PLA ‘grey-zone’ operations

South China Morning Post - Sep 15, 2026

Taiwan has begun flight testing its newly acquired MQ-9B drones, giving the island a long-range reconnaissance platform capable of monitoring People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and grey-zone activities across vast stretches of surrounding waters. The first two of four MQ-9B SeaGuardians ordered from the United States took off from Hualien Air Base in eastern Taiwan on Monday, according to military sources. It was their first test flight since arriving in Taiwan by sea in June, following nearly three...

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