Taiwan Proposes $6.6 Billion Drone Buildup to Counter China and Boost Exports

Taiwan's defense ministry has proposed a $6.6 billion budget to purchase over 208,000 domestically made attack drones and other unmanned systems from 2026 to 2031, aiming to significantly expand its arsenal beyond the current 5,000 drones. The initiative includes civilian drone training and international partnerships to sell Taiwanese drones to the US military and other buyers. Recent military exercises featured both US-made Altius-600 loitering munitions and Taiwan-made drones striking maritime targets.