Drone elimination technology under consideration by military police forces
Taiwan's Military Police to Acquire Three M-ACE Systems for Drone Defense
Taiwan's Military Police Command is planning to acquire three Northrop Grumman Mobile Acquisition, Cueing and Effector Systems (M-ACE) to bolster the defense of the Presidential Office Building in Taipei against potential drone attacks, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The M-ACE systems, which have seen operational use in Ukraine against invading Russian forces, are AI-enabled and combine multiple advanced capabilities including radar, electro-optical/infrared sensors, electronic warfare modules, directed energy weapons, and a 30mm Bushmaster chain gun.
The M-ACEs are expected to join the military police's existing uncrewed aerial vehicle capabilities, such as Switchblade 300 loitering munitions and reconnaissance drones. This acquisition would enhance Taiwan's layered defense by providing both soft-kill (non-kinetic electronic countermeasures) and kinetic (physical) interception of hostile drones.
The Military Police Command has been in talks with the US to acquire the M-ACE for the past two years. However, the Taiwanese government has yet to publicly confirm the acquisition. The source did not specify the exact number of M-ACE systems the military police plan to order.
The M-ACE system can be deployed in a variety of commercial and military vehicles, making it adaptable to different operational requirements. The system utilizes an artificial intelligence-boosted command and control architecture, enabling rapid threat identification and engagement.
The M-ACE is aimed specifically at protecting critical government infrastructure from sophisticated Chinese drone threats, especially drone swarms that represent an emerging tactical challenge. The Ministry of National Defense is yet to determine whether the project would be funded by its general budget or a special budget.
This move reflects a broader modernization effort within Taiwan’s military police, as they aim to increase their capabilities to counter uncrewed aerial vehicle swarms of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. The acquisition of the M-ACE is seen as a strategic response to the growing threats posed by China.
The military police are tasked with protecting key government sites and officials in Taipei, but the specific sites around the Presidential Office Building that the M-ACEs are intended to bolster defense for were not mentioned in this paragraph. The government's directive is to increase military spending to 3 percent of GDP, but the funding for this project is undetermined.
In summary, the acquisition of the M-ACE system by Taiwan's Military Police Command marks an advanced step in urban defense modernization against Chinese drone threats. The M-ACE units are expected to be deployed near the Presidential Office to form a multi-layer drone defense system incorporating detection, electronic and physical interdiction technologies. This move strengthens U.S.-Taiwan defense cooperation and could set a precedent for integrating proven Ukrainian defense technologies into Taiwan’s urban defense network.
[1] Source: Anonymous [2] Image credit: Sam Yeh, AFP (context not provided)
The acquisition of the M-ACE systems by Taiwan's Military Police Command is an advanced step in urban defense modernization, featuring artificial intelligence to bolster the defense against drone threats. The M-ACE systems, equipped with AI and various advanced capabilities, are intended to provide both soft-kill and kinetic interception for critical government infrastructure.
