Overkill is Taiwan’s newest frontline drone, built for low-profile strikes against high-value targets like Chinese warships.

Taiwan is boosting its defense capabilities with the “Overkill” drone, a cutting-edge unmanned aerial system designed to counter potential Chinese military threats.

Co-developed by Thunder Tiger and the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), the drone integrates Auterion’s next-gen strike and camera systems, the same tech used by Ukraine to disrupt Russian tanks and naval assets.

The system uses first-person view (FPV), allowing an operator to manually guide it toward high-value targets like Chinese destroyers. It is also capable of bypassing air defense systems with precise, low-profile strikes.

“The lessons learned from the war in Ukraine are definitely applicable to a potential conflict with China,” said Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion.

Taiwan’s military has completed live testing of the drone and confirmed that the Overkill is ready for frontline use.

Scaling Up Drone Production

Taiwan is continuing its push to scale up drone production, with Thunder Tiger securing a deal to license autopilot software for 25,000 drones.

While the goal is to reach 100,000 units by 2028, current output still falls short. To close the gap, Taiwan is collaborating with the US to increase its production capacity.

It also aims to expand its reach to international defense markets, starting with Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

At the same time, Taiwan is cutting back on Chinese-made components and preparing a drone procurement budget for rollout this fall.