Lai Ching-te says Taiwan needs more than 210,000 drones as lawmakers prepare to vote on competing defense-spending plans.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te urged lawmakers to approve a six-year, T$210 billion ($6.6 billion) budget for military drones ahead of a crucial vote in the opposition-controlled parliament, Reuters reported.
The government wants to buy more than 210,000 drones, saying conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have underscored the importance of uncrewed weapons and that Taiwan needs to modernize its defenses against China.
Opposition lawmakers have proposed capping annual spending at T$40 billion from the regular budget, with oversight assigned to the economy ministry rather than the defense ministry.
Lai said drones are central to Taiwan’s asymmetric military capabilities and would help demonstrate the island’s determination to defend itself. Government officials say the equipment is needed to make any conflict zone difficult for Chinese forces.
Ruling and opposition lawmakers debated the competing proposals but failed to reach agreement. A vote was expected on Thursday.
Taiwan’s defense minister said the government plan would use annual procurement and regular upgrades. He added that the opposition cap would fall short of the T$42.1 billion the ministry plans to spend on drones in 2027 alone.
