US Envoy Urges Taiwan to Expand Drone Capabilities to Strengthen Deterrence

Taiwan should develop a large network of air, sea and underwater drones to strengthen its defenses and discourage potential military conflict, the top US representative to the island said on Thursday, highlighting the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern warfare.

Speaking at a drone industry forum in the central Taiwanese city of Taichung, Raymond Greene, director of the American Institute in Taiwan, described drones as a critical component of the island’s future security strategy. Although Washington and Taipei do not maintain formal diplomatic relations, the United States remains Taiwan’s principal international supporter and its largest supplier of defensive weapons.

Greene said drones offer a “game-changing opportunity” to improve Taiwan’s defense capabilities while contributing to stability across the Indo-Pacific region. He called for closer cooperation between the United States and Taiwan in building a democratic drone manufacturing network capable of supporting regional security.

Drawing lessons from the war in Ukraine, Greene said unmanned systems have significantly strengthened defenders facing larger military forces. He argued that expanding Taiwan’s drone fleet would increase the cost of any potential military action against the island.

“Nothing will deter conflict more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet’s nest of air, surface and subsurface drones,” Greene said during the forum.

Taiwan has accelerated efforts to modernize its military as tensions with China remain high. Beijing considers the self-governed island part of its territory and has repeatedly increased military pressure through exercises and air and naval patrols around Taiwan. Taipei rejects China’s sovereignty claims, maintaining that only the island’s people have the right to determine their future.

The Taiwanese government has identified drones and other asymmetric defense systems as key priorities in its military strategy. President Lai Ching-te had earlier sought approval for an additional defense package worth T$1.25 trillion ($40 billion), but the opposition-controlled legislature approved only about two-thirds of the proposal, limiting funding primarily to purchases of US-made weapons.

The government has since introduced a separate T$210 billion ($6.59 billion) proposal covering surveillance drones, coastal attack systems and small unmanned surface vessels through 2031.

Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang, has submitted its own proposal that would allocate up to T$240 billion over six years for drone development, with annual spending capped at T$40 billion. Unlike the government’s proposal, the opposition wants the funding to come from the regular national budget rather than a special spending package.

Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, a senior Kuomintang figure who also addressed the forum, urged lawmakers to work together to strengthen Taiwan’s drone industry. She said recent conflicts, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, have demonstrated how drones and unmanned vehicles are reshaping modern warfare.

Taichung has become one of Taiwan’s leading drone manufacturing hubs, hosting companies such as Thunder Tiger and the state-backed Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation. President Lai also stressed this week that expanding Taiwan’s asymmetric defense capabilities is an urgent national priority as regional security challenges continue to evolve.