Taiwan Television (TTV) recently reported on Taiwan’s commitment to promoting the development of its drone industry, due to the high strategic value of drones in the Ukraine-Russia conflict and escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Drones have become a priority for military development in various countries, and Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense also regards drones as a core force in asymmetric warfare, significantly expanding the unmanned combat capabilities of the national armed forces through a two-pronged approach of procurement and domestic production.
The report indicates that starting next year, the Ministry of National Defense will officially deploy over a thousand military-grade drones to the armed forces, enhancing the military’s reconnaissance and defense capabilities. Following the NT$6.8 billion investment in 2024 to procure 3,422 drones, a cross-ministerial tender for commercial military drones totaling NT$50 billion was announced in 2025. The tender aims to secure 48,750 drones of five different models within two years, thereby shortening the development timeline and significantly increasing production capacity.
Tzu-Yun Su, research fellow and director of the Institute for National Defense and Security Research’s Division of Defense Strategy and Resources, said that given the extensive use and effectiveness of drones in the Russia-Ukraine war, Taiwan has incorporated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAS) into its asymmetric strategy, hoping to achieve better defense results at a lower cost.
The report points out that with the widespread deployment of drones in the military, the associated cybersecurity risks have also raised concerns. Guan-Ru Chen, chairman of a drone company, stated that there is a high probability that Chinese drones transmit information back to IP addresses designated by Beijing without authorization, and this phenomenon has also led to a trend of “non-red” drone supply chains. DSET Policy Analyst Cathy Fang also pointed out that in terms of supply chain security, Taiwan is a trustworthy and reliable partner, and the construction of non-red supply chains gives Taiwan opportunities to play its role.
Regarding drone exports, Taiwan has been exporting to countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland since 2024. DSET’s Fang pointed out that Poland purchased over 10,000 drones in a single month in 2025, a significant increase compared to just over 1,000 in a single quarter of 2024. She suggested this phenomenon might be attributed to Poland’s support for Ukraine’s military supplies and its plans to develop its own drone industry.
The report concludes by noting that Taiwan’s Executive Yuan’s six-year, NT$44.2 billion drone industry plan has attracted over 250 domestic manufacturers to invest in the research, development, manufacturing, and system integration of key components. Currently, the domestic production rate of key components for military drones is about 50%. The government hopes to increase the technological self-sufficiency rate to over 70% within six years by investing in research and development and integrating core technologies such as AI and obstacle avoidance. DSET’s drone report, “Drones for Democracy: U.S.-Taiwan Cooperation in Building a Resilient and China-Free UAV Supply Chain,“ also explores the challenges and opportunities for Taiwan-U.S. drone cooperation, and will soon release research findings on Taiwan’s drone supply chain cooperation with other countries.
