Army to form drone groups for each theater by next July: chief of staff

Taipei, Oct. 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Army is set to establish an unmanned aerial system (UAS) group for each of the country's five theaters of operations by next July, the Army's chief of staff said Thursday.

During a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee the same day, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said the Army plans to form UAS groups composed of different types of drones for each theater, depending on their respective missions.

In response to questions from Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇) about the details of the plan, Army Chief of Staff Chen Chun-yi (陳俊義) said all the groups are expected to be in place by July, adding that the rollout will be carried out in phases in line with the Army's drone procurement progress.

Noting that drone operators are not currently eligible for monthly specialty pay, Chen Chun-yu asked whether the Defense Ministry would consider extending such pay to drone operators to support recruitment and retention.

Koo replied that drone operators, as members of combat units, already receive special duty assignment pay and a comprehensive review is required before any additional allowances are offered.