Taiwan's military ran its first joint live-fire drills using attack drones alongside conventional weapons, a show of strength aimed at China and a reassurance to Taiwanese and allies that the island can defend itself.

• President Lai Ching-te watched three days of joint missile firing in Pingtung, covering air defense, sea-air coordination, coastal strikes, and near-shore defense.
• For the first time, several types of attack drones were used together with traditional weapons in a joint-operations setting.
• The drills were run under Taiwan's actual defense plan for the main island and Penghu, so they tested real command and coordination, not just hardware.
• Lai framed it as proof Taiwan can protect its sovereignty and pull its weight for regional stability, saying peace needs both resolve and strength.
• The government pledged more money for training, new equipment, and better living conditions for troops.

Outlook: Expect Taiwan to keep pushing drones deeper into its regular training and to hold more realistic exercises as it races to modernize against a growing Chinese threat.