Taiwan Plans 200,000-Drone Army, Hopes China Forgets Batteries Exist

KEY POINTS

•Taiwan plans to produce nearly 200,000 drones annually by 2030 to boost defense and economic growth.
•The government is encouraging big companies from semiconductors and electric vehicles to shift resources toward drone technology.
•Chinese parts bans drive up costs and complicate supply chains as Taiwan aims for drone independence amid rising tensions.

Taiwan is going all-in on drones as their new defense secret sauce, planning to crank out nearly 200,000 unmanned buzzing annoyances annually by 2030. The government's high-five to companies like Thunder Tiger and CSBC’s Endeavor Manta drone boats (“torpedoes with Wi-Fi”) comes with a nightmare: no Chinese parts allowed, making each drone as pricey and rare as a vintage sneaker. Betsy Shieh, ex-US commerce official, cheers on but warns Taipei’s tech giants in semiconductors and EVs are dragging their feet, hesitant to drop their comfy cash cows. Meanwhile, Beijing is busy training anti-drone ninjas to keep the airspace noisy. Taiwan’s top-secret tactic? Turn swarms of drones into swarms of headaches for their neighbors while hoping bureaucracy doesn’t crash their drone dreams.

Share the Story

(1 of 3)

Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Taiwan’s drone enthusiasm is basically a government-sponsored hobby club with insanely costly drones that can't have any Chinese parts—because spending double is how you say 'I’m serious,' right?

212/280 charactersReady to post

Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Imagine building a drone army but telling your suppliers, 'No Chinese parts, thanks'—because getting shot down by budget overruns builds character.

164/280 charactersReady to post

Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Taiwan wants 200,000 drones by 2030 but can’t convince its biggest tech firms to join. That’s like Batman ignoring Alfred because he’s busy with a puzzle.

171/280 charactersReady to post