China further escalated tensions this month by unveiling the Feihong FH-97A “loyal wingman” drone as part of a race to catch up to U.S. military capabilities.
This is an opportunity for Taiwan.
In 2022, the Taipei government established a national drone team to bring together local manufacturers to rapidly develop and deploy drones for both commercial and military use. Domestic manufacturers have set a goal of producing 15,000 drones per month by 2028.
“Taiwan’s technological expertise, geopolitical importance, and growing defense partnership could position it to play a key role by providing a safe, high-quality alternative to Chinese systems. “Yes,” said David Gardash, an analyst and China scholar at the think tank Synopsys. Prague.
In September, the U.S. Department of Commerce organized a delegation to Taiwan of 26 manufacturers of unmanned counter-drone systems, including Northrop Grumman, Shield AI, and Textron Systems. The purpose of the trip was to promote cooperation between the two sides in drone production.
Tron Future’s Wang said all the major consumer electronics companies that traditionally made computers and mobile phones expanded into drone production last year. Taiwan’s semiconductor sector could also offer industry advantages, including advanced artificial intelligence features such as protection against GPS jamming.
