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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Conflict & Security

Taiwan plans an additional $4.6 billion for defense in 2026

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Official statement New plan
  • Taiwan’s Cabinet proposed adding 145.7 billion New Taiwan dollars to the 2026 defense budget to strengthen the island’s defensive combat capabilities.
  • The proposal includes funding for Strong Bow antiballistic missiles, ammunition installations and, from 2027, more than 600 surveillance drones, 40,000 attack drones and over 100 unmanned boats.
  • The plan follows legislative approval of a six-year, 240 billion New Taiwan dollar program for military drones, while an earlier special defense budget was reduced by the opposition-controlled Parliament.

Taiwan’s government wants to add 145.7 billion New Taiwan dollars, about $4.6 billion, to defense spending in 2026, saying the island cannot leave national security unattended as military pressure from China grows.

The Cabinet announced the proposal after its weekly meeting. It said the additional funding would cover measures originally included in a special defense statute, including Strong Bow medium-layer tactical antiballistic missiles and ammunition installations.

The government had already submitted a special defense budget of 1.25 trillion New Taiwan dollars, or about $39.4 billion, for 2026 through 2033. Parliament, which is controlled by opposition parties, cut that proposal by 470 billion New Taiwan dollars, or roughly $14.8 billion.

However, national defense cannot be left unattended, so plans originally included in the special statute, such as Strong Bow medium-layer tactical antiballistic missiles and ammunition installations, are incorporated into this budget expansion

· Taiwanese Cabinet statementThe statement explained why previously cut defense measures were included in the additional budget.

The new initiative also includes urgent funding for equipment planned for purchase from 2027. The package lists more than 600 coastal surveillance and reconnaissance drones, more than 40,000 coastal attack drones and an initial batch of more than 100 small unmanned boats described as suicide craft.

“National security cannot wait, the defense budget cannot wait and defense autonomy cannot wait,” Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai said. The defense proposal forms part of a broader 607.6 billion New Taiwan dollar expansion package for the current fiscal year, which also includes fuel-price controls, higher social subsidies and increased pay supplements for military personnel, civil servants and teachers.

The proposal came about a week after Parliament approved 240 billion New Taiwan dollars in military drone funding over six years. That law would allocate 40 billion New Taiwan dollars each year from the central government budget, with priority for domestically manufactured drones. Parliament also approved a 2026 government budget in August that included 63.4 billion New Taiwan dollars for drone acquisition and industry development over six years.

National security cannot wait, the defense budget cannot wait and defense autonomy cannot wait

· Cho Jung-taiTaiwan’s prime minister defended the urgency of the proposed spending.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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