TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Drone development is the primary focus of Taiwan’s asymmetric warfare strategy, Minister of Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said on Thursday (June 27).

Speaking at the Legislative Yuan, Koo said the current number of drones is insufficient, Liberty Times reported. He also pointed out the need to develop domestic production capacity, integrate AI systems for friend-or-foe identification, and establish kill chains. He added that there is a need for a more diverse array of drones.

Koo said there are ongoing exchanges between Taiwan and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command to expand the application of unmanned vehicles in all environments.

The Ministry of Defense (MND) has acquired nearly 1,000 UAVs so far this year, according to a legislative report. The ministry purchased 968 UAVs including attack drones, micro drones, and surveillance drones. It plans to acquire five types of commercial-grade military UAVs by 2027, with an expected total of 3,231 units.

The MND’s Armaments Bureau and the Ministry of Economic Affairs also hold interagency meetings to integrate domestic resources and production capacity to achieve self-sufficiency while rapidly bolstering combat capabilities.

On June 18, the U.S. government formally notified Congress about its plan to sell Switchblade 300 anti-personnel loitering missile systems and ALTIUS 600M-V anti-armor UAVs to Taiwan for US$360.2 million (NT$11.65 billion). Taiwan requested to purchase 720 Switchblade drones and up to 291 ALTIUS UAVs along with related equipment and logistics support.