President Lai Ching-te on Friday, October 10, announced plans for a new multi-layered air defense system known as “T-Dome.”
The system is designed to strengthen Taiwan’s national defense against escalating military threats from China.
Lai announced this news during his National Day address in Taipei, where he pledged to increase defense budget and urged Beijing to abandon the use of force.
Taiwan, which is a self-governing democratic state that China tries to claim is part of its own territory, has received increasing pressure in the form of incursions of military aircrafts on a daily basis and the deployment of warships and threat of cyber attacks.
In reaction, Lai added that his government will step up the process of modernization of the defense sector, and specifically, the air defense.
While officials have not revealed technical details, it is anticipated that T-Dome stands for “Taiwan Dome” and is envisioned as a comprehensive, layered air defense network similar to Israel's Iron Dome which is capable of intercepting a wide range of aerial threats, from drones and cruise missiles to ballistic projectiles.
Lai said in the address, “We will accelerate our building of the T-Dome, establish a rigorous air defense system in Taiwan with multi-layered defense, high-level detection, and effective interception, a safety net for Taiwan to protect the lives and property of our citizens.”
A senior representative from the presidential office, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that the system's main focus is to improve Taiwan’s interception rate and will integrate advanced detection and tracking technologies.
With the T-Dome, existing defense platforms including US-manufactured Patriot missiles, Taiwan's domestically produced Sky Bow series, and newly launched Chiang-Kong missiles will be combined.
Taiwan allocated a special budget for the T-Dome program that will be approved before the end of 2025 and will go into the implementation phase by the end of 2026, as reported by the presidential office.
Additionally, Lai reaffirmed Taiwan’s commitment to increase defense spending to over 3% of GDP with a target of 5% by 2030.
“The increase in defense spending has a purpose; it is a clear necessity to counter enemy threats and a driving force for developing our defense industries,” Lai added.
The response of China about the announcement of Lai was not immediate. Nonetheless, Beijing has several times charged Lai with being a separatist and denied his demands to talk.
China had carried out an intensive military drill in the surrounding area of Taiwan last year in response to the comments made by Lai on the matter of sovereignty and national identity.
The Ministry of Defense in Taiwan recently announced an increase in the Chinese drone incursions and therefore the military initiated training units on anti-drone warfare and some anti-UAV purchases.
“We call on China to renounce the use of force or coercion to change the status quo,” Lai added.
“History has shown the pain of war. We must learn from the past to protect peace in the present.”
Although Taiwan has not officially proclaimed to be independent, a move that would lead to the Chinese retaliation, the launch of the T-Dome by Lai highlights that there is a strategic change towards deterrence and resilience.
If “T-Dome” is developed and deployed successfully, it would be able to change the defense posture in Taiwan and become a symbol of national unity and technological self-sufficiency.
