TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense on Monday released details on seven categories of weapons under a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.61 billion) special defense budget.

The ministry delivered a classified briefing to the Legislative Yuan on the special national defense bill before publicly releasing details, per CNA. Ahead of the briefing, Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) said he hoped to explain the plan to lawmakers across party lines and speed up the review process.

According to materials released after the meeting, the special budget focuses on three priorities: building a comprehensive “Taiwan Shield,” using AI and advanced technology to shorten the kill chain, and strengthening domestic defense production while establishing a non-Chinese supply chain.

The procurement plan covers seven categories, including precision artillery, long-range strike missiles, unmanned systems, air defense and anti-armor missiles, AI-assisted command and control and intelligence systems (C5ISR), sustained combat support equipment, and jointly developed Taiwan-US systems, per Business Today. Unmanned assets include around 200,000 reconnaissance and attack drones of various types and more than 1,000 unmanned surface vessels.

Major items listed include M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, HIMARS rocket systems, Altius loitering munitions, Javelin and TOW-2B missiles, and expanded domestic ammunition and equipment production lines. The ministry said five key systems have entered the US congressional notification process, with reviews for remaining items ongoing.

The ministry warned that the Chinese Communist Party has intensified military expansion and gray zone pressure. The special budget, it said, is intended to ensure stable funding and respond to threats in the Taiwan Strait.