Taiwan has signed a contract with the United States to purchase new drones worth approximately 269 billion Taiwan dollars (about $4 billion). As Taiwan's government pushes to expand its drone capabilities, the issue of arms sales to Taiwan is expected to become a significant point of contention ahead of the anticipated U.S.-China summit next month.
According to local media, including the Liberty Times, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense announced on the 27th that it had released the results of the bidding for the U.S. drone procurement project on its government electronic procurement platform. The total contract amount is 269 billion Taiwan dollars.
The details of the purchase, previously disclosed by the Ministry of National Defense, indicate that a total of 2,032 drones will be acquired. This includes 1,554 Altius-700 M attack drones and 478 Altius-600 ISR reconnaissance drones.
The Altius-600 ISR is designed for monitoring enemy movements and gathering intelligence, while the Altius-700 M can target military equipment such as tanks. Taiwan plans to deploy these drones to frontline army units.
Deliveries are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year, with the entire order scheduled for completion by June 2033.
This contract follows a large-scale arms sale to Taiwan approved by the U.S. last year. In December, the U.S. government notified Congress of a $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, the largest in history at that time. The sale of the Altius-600 and 700 M drone systems was valued at approximately $1.1 billion.
Taiwan is actively working to enhance its drone capabilities independently. President Tsai Ing-wen urged the legislature on the 26th to pass a special budget of 210 billion Taiwan dollars (about $6.6 billion) over six years to secure around 210,000 military drones. The government argues that the importance of drones in modern warfare has been underscored by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, necessitating a rapid expansion of drone capabilities.
China has expressed strong opposition to Taiwan's military buildup. On the 26th, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, stated at a regular press conference, "Pursuing independence through force only hastens destruction" and claimed that "the great trend toward unification cannot be stopped."
The U.S. arms sales to Taiwan have long been a source of tension in U.S.-China relations. China reacted strongly when the U.S. announced the $11 billion arms package in December. Observers suggest that the recent drone purchase contract could elevate the Taiwan issue as a key agenda item in the upcoming U.S.-China summit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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