HCSS
  • News
    • BNR | De Strateeg
    • Columns
    • Draghi Report Series
    • Events
    • Podcasts
  • Publications
    • Publications
      • All Publications
    • Defence & Security
      • Behavioural Influencing in the Military Domain
      • (Nuclear) Deterrence and Arms Control
      • Hybrid Threats
      • Rethinking Fire and Manoeuvre
      • Robotic and Autonomous Systems
      • Strategic Monitor Dutch Police
      • Transnational Organised Crime
    • Geopolitics & Geo-economics
      • China in a Changing World Order
      • Europe in a Changing World Order
      • Europe in the Indo-Pacific
      • Knowledge base on Russia (RuBase)
      • PROGRESS / Strategic Monitor
      • Transatlantic Relations
    • Climate, Energy, Materials & Food
      • Climate and Security
        • International Military Council on Climate and Security (IMCCS)
        • Water, Peace & Security (WPS)
      • Critical Minerals
      • Energy Security
        • Tank Storage in Transition
      • Food Security
    • Strategic Technologies
      • Cyber Policy & Resilience
        • Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace (GCSC)
      • Emerging Technologies
      • Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM)
      • Semiconductors
      • Space
  • Dashboards
    • Dashboards
      • All Dashboards
        • GINA
    • Defence & Security
      • DAMON | Disturbances and Aggression Monitor
      • GINA | Military
      • Nuclear Timeline
    • Geopolitics & Geo-economics
      • Dutch Foreign Relations Index
      • GINA | Diplomatic
      • GINA | Economic
      • GINA | Information
    • Climate, Energy, Materials & Food
      • Agrifood Monitor
      • CRM Dashboard
    • Strategic Technologies
      • Cyber Arms Watch
      • Cyber Comparator
      • Cyber Norms Observatory
      • Cyber Transparency
  • Services
    • HCSS Boardroom
    • HCSS Datalab
    • HCSS Socio-Political Instability Survey
    • Strategic Capability Gaming
    • Studio HCSS
    • Indo-Dutch Cyber Security School 2024
    • Southern Africa-Netherlands Cyber Security School 2025
  • NATO Summit
  • GC REAIM
    • GC REAIM | Members
    • GC REAIM | Conferences
    • GC REAIM | Partners, Sponsors, Supporters
  • About HCSS
    • Contact Us
    • Our People
    • Funding & Transparency
    • Partners & Clients
    • HCSS Newsletter
    • HCSS Internship Programme
    • Press & Media Inquiries
    • Working at HCSS
    • Global Futures Foundation
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu

News

New report: Lessons Learned from Contemporary War for Taiwan

February 10, 2025

The lessons learned from Russia’s war in Ukraine offer valuable insights for Taiwan in preparing against a potential invasion by China. This HCSS analysis by Davis Ellison, Benedetta Girardi and Tim Sweijs emphasizes strategies and military adaptations that could be transposed to Taiwan’s context, particularly focusing on denial strategies, asymmetry, and sustained defence.

Two overarching conclusions emerge:

  1. A denial strategy is crucial for Taiwan’s defence. Ukraine’s resistance shows that Taiwan must prevent China’s military from exploiting its strengths in land, air, and sea. This involves adopting an asymmetric defence approach, leveraging advantages that offset China’s numerical and technological superiority. The goal is to delay China’s victory, raise invasion costs, and sustain resistance until external support arrives. Taiwan should focus on operational paralysis, tactical degradation, and strategic effect reduction through cost-effective, disposable, and locally produced assets.
  1. Quality can overcome quantity, but only to a point. While advanced systems play a role, sustained defence depends on resilience, production, and logistics. Taiwan must prepare for prolonged conflict by ensuring an industrial base that can sustain combat operations, especially given its island geography and distance from allies.

The report focuses on four main areas—C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and the land, air, and maritime domains—analysing different phases of the Ukraine conflict to extract insights relevant to Taiwan’s defence.

  • C4ISR: Taiwan should enhance joint command structures, invest in resilient communications, strengthen intelligence coordination, and expand drone and sensor networks.
  • Land Warfare: Layered fortifications, battlefield transparency through drone deployment, and robust logistical chains are key to resisting invasion.
  • Air Warfare: Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) must be reinforced with cost-effective drones and counter-drone technologies.
  • Naval Warfare: Investments in naval strike capabilities, unmanned surface and underwater drones, and mine warfare will be crucial in preventing an amphibious landing.

By adopting these strategies and implementing these lessons, Taiwan can strengthen its deterrence and defence, making a potential Chinese invasion more costly and difficult, delay any swift victory, and create conditions for international support.

This report is part of a series of publications on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, applicable to Taiwan. The research was made possible through a grant from the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands to the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS).

  • Authors: Davis Ellison, Benedetta Girardi and Tim Sweijs.
  • Contributors: Giulio Damiani, Julie Ebrard, Alisa Hoenig, Paul van Hooft.
  • Quality Assurance: Frank Bekkers and Viktoriya Fedorchak.

Additionally, 4 papers were written by renowned guest authors, edited by Davis Ellison, Benedetta Girardi and Tim Sweijs.

  • Paper 1 | Lessons Learned from the War in Ukraine Applicable to Taiwan: The Land Domain
  • Paper 2 | Lessons for Taiwan from the Russo-Ukrainian War
  • Paper 3 | The Maritime War in Ukraine: The Limits of Russian Sea Control?
  • Paper 4 | Lessons Learned from the War in Ukraine Applicable to Taiwan: Airpower

The series is a follow-up of a thought-provoking symposium on the military lessons learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine and their relevance to potential conflict scenarios, particularly regarding Taiwan’s delicate position, hosted by HCSS on October 17. This event brought together policymakers, academics, and defence experts to explore key insights on warfare, strategy, and international security dynamics.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail

Experts

Davis Ellison
Benedetta Girardi
Tim Sweijs

Related News

Related Content

Guest paper series | Lessons Learned for Taiwan from the Russo-Ukrainian War
Event Recap | Lessons Learned from the War in Ukraine applicable to Taiwan
De Strateeg: De grote economische gevolgen van een toekomstige inname van Taiwan

Office Address

  • The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
  • Lange Voorhout 1
  • 2514 EA The Hague
  • The Netherlands

Contact Us

  • Telephone: +31(70) 318 48 40
  • E-mail: info@hcss.nl
  • IBAN NL10INGB0666328730
  • BIC INGBNL2A
  • VAT NL.8101.32.436.B01
  • Contact

Legal & Privacy

  • Disclaimer & Privacy
  • Algemene Voorwaarden (NL) 
  • Terms & Conditions (ENG) 
  • Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure
  • Ethical Standards
  • Manual for Responsible Use of AI

Follow us

© The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies
    Link to: Fiona De Cuyper joins HCSS as new Strategic Analyst Link to: Fiona De Cuyper joins HCSS as new Strategic Analyst Fiona De Cuyper joins HCSS as new Strategic Analyst Link to: Sofia Romansky | AI Action Summit – Military Talks Link to: Sofia Romansky | AI Action Summit – Military Talks Sofia Romansky | AI Action Summit – Military Talks
    Scroll to top Scroll to top Scroll to top

    GDPR Consent

    Your privacy is important to us. Here you can set which consent you are allowing us with regards to the collection of general information, the placing of cookies of the collection of personal information. You can click 'Forget my settings' at the bottom of this form to revoke all given consents.

    Privacy policy | Close
    Settings

    GDPR Consent Settings

    Your privacy is important to us. Here you can set which consent you are allowing us with regards to the collection of general information, the placing of cookies of the collection of personal information. You can click 'Forget my settings' at the bottom of this form to revoke all given consents.

    Website statistics collect anonymized information about how the site is used. This information is used to optimize the website and to ensure an optimal user experience.

    View details

    Functional cookies are used to ensure the website works properly and are neccessary to make the site function. These cookies do not collect any personal data.  

    View details
    Forget my settings Deleted!