Taiwan is planning a major expansion of its unmanned and counter-drone capabilities under a proposed NT$1.25 trillion ($36 billion) special defense budget, signaling a significant shift toward large-scale, attritable systems designed to bolster asymmetric defense.
According to procurement figures presented by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense to the Legislative Yuan on January 19 and later reported by the state-run Central News Agency, the plan includes the acquisition of more than 200,000 UAS, over 1,000 unmanned surface vessel, and a new suite of counter-UAS systems.
The unmanned systems component represents the most substantial element of the proposed budget and reflects Taipei’s growing emphasis on distributed capabilities intended to complicate an adversary’s operations in the air and maritime domains. The ministry grouped the planned UAV purchases across several mission sets, including coastal surveillance, reconnaissance, attack roles, bomb-dropping drones, loitering munitions and other specialized variants.
The volume points to a strategy centered on mass, persistence and rapid replacement rather than reliance on a limited number of high-end systems.
As part of the air domain investment, Taiwan also plans to procure U.S.-origin ALTIUS systems, including 1,554 ALTIUS-700M loitering munitions and 478 ALTIUS-600ISR reconnaissance drones. The Ministry of National Defense described these systems collectively as an anti-armor unmanned aircraft missile capability, pairing sensing platforms with expendable strike systems.
In the maritime domain, the ministry disclosed plans to acquire more than 1,000 unmanned surface vessels. While details on their roles were not released publicly, the scale suggests an intent to expand coastal surveillance, distributed sensing and autonomous operations in Taiwan’s surrounding waters.
The procurement package also includes new counter-UAS capabilities, though quantities and system types were not made public. The inclusion of counter-drone systems alongside large-scale UAV and USV acquisitions reflects an effort to address the growing vulnerability posed by low-cost aerial threats to critical infrastructure and military assets.
The special defense budget still requires legislative approval. If passed largely as proposed, it would position Taiwan to field one of the largest and most dense unmanned force structures globally.
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Post Image Credit: U.S. Army
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