A report of a drone entering airspace near the Ching Chuan Kang base in Taichung brought police to the scene, but no aircraft or operator was found.

Ching Chuan Kang is a major military airfield in central Taiwan, and a radius around it is designated as restricted for drone flight. Civilian drones may not be flown there without prior permission.

Hard to verify

Drone reports are difficult to substantiate. A small aircraft flown briefly and then retrieved leaves almost no evidence at the site, and the operator is often several hundred metres away.

Countries have responded by placing radio-detection equipment or fixed surveillance systems around airfields. Such systems cost money to run and bring false positives of their own.

Rules and practice

Taiwan regulates drone registration, operator qualifications and restricted zones under civil aviation law, with particularly strict limits around military airfields, power stations and other key facilities.

Even so, as recreational drones proliferate, distinguishing flights launched in ignorance of the rules from deliberate approaches has become a practical task. Both possibilities remain open in this case.

Police said they were reviewing nearby camera footage for further leads. Military authorities issued no separate statement.