Report: Taiwan to buy over 100,000 military drones

Taiwan has announced an expansive new procurement initiative for over 50,000 additional unmanned aerial systems (UAS), marking one of the largest drone acquisitions in the country’s history.

Combined with the Ministry of National Defense’s recent order for nearly 49,000 units, the total demand now exceeds 100,000 drones—effectively securing the domestic industry’s production capacity for at least the next five years.

The announcement came during an industry briefing on July 29, hosted by the Executive Yuan’s Aerospace Program Office and the Armaments Bureau. Officials said the increased acquisition is part of a broader strategy to reinforce national resilience and bolster the country’s distributed drone fleet in support of critical infrastructure protection and homeland defense.

According to the Executive Yuan, the additional 50,000 drones will supplement military UAS already in procurement and will be used to support both civil and national defense missions, including surveillance of energy and transport facilities. The move reflects a growing emphasis on layered unmanned capabilities across Taiwan’s total defense architecture.

The Ministry of National Defense previously confirmed a procurement plan for 48,750 drones across five categories, including micro surveillance, attack, and medium-range reconnaissance platforms. Officials noted that the total budget for the military segment alone is projected to exceed NT$50 billion.

Taiwan-based manufacturers are now racing to respond. Thunder Tiger Technologies, a leading drone producer, confirmed its intention to bid on all five categories of defense drones and expressed readiness to compete for the additional 50,000 systems under the Executive Yuan’s parallel procurement plan.

Century Minsheng, another major player in Taiwan’s UAS sector, announced it is expanding production with an eye on global markets, including defense-grade drones for European and American clients. The company described the current moment as a key inflection point in global drone supply chains, driven by geopolitical tensions and a worldwide race for autonomy-focused systems.

The Executive Yuan and Armaments Bureau hosted more than 400 attendees at the drone industry briefing held at the 202nd Plant in Nangang. Due to space limitations, each vendor was allowed only two representatives, though seats were filled to capacity. Attendees included not only drone manufacturers, but also electronics, composite materials, and communications firms—all seeking details on system specifications and program requirements.

The Defense Ministry confirmed that vendor selection will follow a “multi-award” procurement model, meaning contracts may be awarded to several suppliers, each responsible for a portion of the total order. This approach is intended to accelerate delivery and ensure supply chain resilience, while fostering industrial competition.

Industry officials say the scale of the procurement—both in numbers and budget—represents a turning point for Taiwan’s defense-industrial base. If awarded as projected, the combined orders from the Executive Yuan and Ministry of National Defense will fully occupy domestic drone production lines for the next five years.

While many technical details remain classified, industry participants expect that the procurement will include drones equipped with autonomous flight control, encrypted communications, and swarming functions tailored to Taiwan’s mountainous terrain and urban centers.