KMT proposes 240 billion NTD drone budget, aiming for international competitiveness

Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party has put forward its own six-year, 240 billion New Taiwan dollar (NTD) budget proposal for drone development. This plan contrasts sharply with the executive branch's 210 billion NTD "National Defense Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle Procurement Special Act." The KMT's proposal, titled the "National Defense Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle Technology Development and Procurement Act," aims to cultivate domestic industry and build international competitiveness, according to KMT legislator Chiu Chen-chun.

“

The KMT's 240 billion is a 'development act'; the executive branch's 210 billion is a 'procurement act.' One spends money to nurture industry, the other spends money to buy things.

Chiu criticized the government's plan as a "short-term effect, long-term coffin" scenario, warning it could become a "super bubble" that collapses within five years. He argued that the government's focus on purchasing "naked" drones without investing in anti-electronic warfare software and satellite links would render them useless against China's advanced electronic warfare capabilities. "Buying 210 billion NTD worth of equipment that could become 'aerial bricks' at any moment is like pouring New Taiwan dollars into the sea," Chiu stated.

The KMT's proposal emphasizes a strategic investment in industry rather than just procurement. It outlines principles of "large quantity, low cost, intelligence, and distribution" for military construction. The plan mandates annual reports to the legislature on combat readiness, industry, technology, and economic benefits, ensuring dynamic adjustments to defense construction. It also incorporates battlefield resilience by decentralizing production bases across at least three counties and distributing strategic reserves to prevent a single attack from paralyzing the supply chain.

“

The executive branch's version is 'short-term effect, long-term coffin,' and any legislator with a conscience cannot mindlessly approve this 'super bubble' that is doomed to suffocate in five years with 210 billion in public funds.

Furthermore, the KMT's initiative sets ambitious localization targets: 50% for military-civilian dual-use drones within two years, rising to 80% within four years. Unmanned boats and ground vehicles would reach 70% localization. This focus on component value aims to embed key technologies in Taiwan, moving beyond mere final assembly. The plan also encourages private investment through the National Development Fund, guiding small and medium-sized enterprises and startups to build independent R&D and market competitiveness, ensuring the industry's future relies on international orders, not perpetual government funding.

“

If the DPP government only focuses on buying 'naked' drones without investing budget in anti-electronic warfare software and satellite link research, the outcome is already determined: 'lost contact upon takeoff.'

"The KMT's 'nurturing' is conditional support to cultivate international competitiveness, allowing it to survive on its own after six years," Chiu concluded. "One spends money on fireworks, the other spends money on nurturing the future. Spending money on fireworks only brings a moment of glory, and the industry is finished when the money runs out; spending money on the future is responsible governance."

“

The KMT's 240 billion NTD is not simply an increased budget, but integrates national security and industrial development into the system design.