Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, has revealed a strategy to deter China from invading Taiwan. This strategy, known as the ‘Hellscape,’ involves deploying thousands of unmanned surface ships, aerial drones, and submarines to surround the island. The goal is to make it difficult for China to cross over into the Taiwan Strait and buy time for the US to respond.
The strategy relies heavily on the Replicator initiative, a long-term plan to field thousands of autonomous systems. Deputy Defence Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced that the Pentagon is allocating $1 billion this fiscal year to the Replicator program. A few capabilities have been highlighted as necessary for the first drones in the program, and the Pentagon is working with defense partners to develop and acquire these systems.
The Replicator program is taking cues from the Russia-Ukraine war, as Ukrainian forces have broken new ground in using drone technology to stave off Russian forces. Last summer, Hicks highlighted Replicator’s objective to neutralize China’s predominant strength — its sheer scale: “More ships. More missiles. More people.” She said “we’ll counter the [People’s Liberation Army’s] mass with mass of our own, but ours will be harder to plan for, harder to hit, harder to beat.”
China has prioritized enhancing its military strength, with an estimated annual defense budget of $700 billion. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) earmarked approximately $840 billion for defense expenditure in fiscal year 2024. Chinese military drill around Taiwan sounds alert
Paparo’s comments on the “Hellscape” strategy come after a significant Chinese military exercise near Taiwan, where they strategically encircled the island, demonstrating their joint force prowess. This exercise not only showcased China’s capability to swiftly impose a blockade, alarming Taiwan and the US, but it also served as a valuable learning experience for the US military. After the drills concluded, Paparo said they “looked like a rehearsal” for an invasion.
Over the past four years, China’s military has significantly ramped up its activities around democratically-governed Taiwan. Beijing views the island as its own territory, a position the government in Taipei strongly rejects. Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the country’s military to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027.
