[Politics] Building Autonomous Combat Power! Chen Guan-ting Supports NT$210 Billion Unmanned Vehicle Program, Will Continue to Urge US Approval of Arms Sales to Taiwan
bellala 央廣5h ago
The Executive Yuan recently passed the NT$210 billion "Special Regulations for Procurement of Unmanned Vehicles for National Defense Autonomy Draft Act" to promote the establishment of various unmanned vehicles and other domestically produced defense equipment. Legislator Chen Guan-ting of the Democratic Progressive Party's Legislative Yuan National Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee specifically emphasized his support on the eve of his visit to the United States, stating that this program can fill the gap in unmanned vehicle combat power that was not fully included in the previous special defense budget, and is of great significance for Taiwan in building asymmetric warfare capabilities. He also called on the US to expedite the approval of the second batch of arms sales to Taiwan to continuously strengthen Taiwan's overall defense capabilities.
The Executive Yuan recently passed the "Special Regulations for Procurement of Unmanned Vehicles for National Defense Autonomy Draft Act," which plans to allocate up to NT$210 billion between the years 115 and 120 of the Republic of China (2026-2031) to procure equipment such as coastal surveillance unmanned aerial vehicles, coastal attack unmanned aerial vehicles, and small unmanned surface vessels. Chen Guan-ting stated that in the face of the rapid evolution of future battlefield forms, unmanned vehicles have become an important combat power in modern warfare. Whether it is coastal surveillance UAVs, attack UAVs, or FPV (First-Person View) drones, they have all demonstrated high combat effectiveness in recent international conflicts. Taiwan should not only accelerate the establishment of related equipment but also simultaneously build stable production capacity, a complete supply chain, and logistics, maintenance, and repair capabilities to effectively enhance overall defense resilience.
National Defense Autonomy and Procurement from the US Must Proceed in Parallel
He pointed out that the special defense budget passed by the Legislative Yuan has a ceiling of NT$780 billion, mainly focusing on arms procurement items for which letters of offer and acceptance have been obtained, including HIMARS multiple rocket launcher systems, M109A7 self-propelled howitzers, Javelin anti-tank missiles, and TOW 2B anti-tank missiles. However, the originally planned unmanned vehicles, anti-drone systems, ammunition readiness, and some domestically produced defense items were not fully included in the budget at that time.
Chen Guan-ting believes that the NT$210 billion special regulations for unmanned vehicles proposed by the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of National Defense this time are precisely to complete the previously unfinished military construction projects. He emphasized that if Taiwan is to implement the concept of asymmetric warfare, in addition to traditional weapon systems, it must actively develop cost-effective and rapidly scalable unmanned combat capabilities.
Regarding the KMT's proposed party version of the drone regulations, Chen Guan-ting expressed his pleasure that both ruling and opposition parties are paying attention to the development of national defense autonomy and unmanned vehicles. He pointed out that national defense security is a common issue for all citizens. As long as relevant proposals meet defense needs and can effectively enhance Taiwan's defense capabilities, all political parties should reach a consensus through rational discussion and jointly promote relevant policies.
Will Continue to Seek US Approval for US$14 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan During Visit to the US
In addition, Chen Guan-ting will visit the United States with a cross-party delegation from the Legislative Yuan. He emphasized that during his visit, he will continue to explain to the US side Taiwan's efforts in defense reform and autonomous defense. Chen Guan-ting pointed out that the second batch of arms sales to the US, which is currently receiving high attention from the public, is worth approximately US$14 billion and includes important air defense equipment such as Patriot PAC-3 air defense missiles and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). These cases are still under review by the US.
Chen Guan-ting stated that Taiwan hopes these arms sales cases can be approved as soon as possible to continue advancing defense capability construction. He emphasized that national defense autonomy and foreign arms procurement are not mutually exclusive but complementary paths. On the one hand, Taiwan continues to seek advanced equipment; on the other hand, it simultaneously strengthens domestic production, maintenance, command, control, communications, and intelligence systems, and the overall unmanned combat system to build more complete and resilient defense capabilities.
Chen Guan-ting concluded by stating that in the face of rapid changes in the regional security situation, Taiwan must continue to demonstrate its determination for self-defense. Whether it is promoting national defense autonomy, building unmanned vehicle capacity, or seeking important arms sales, the ultimate goal is to enhance deterrence, maintain regional peace and stability, and increase the cost of any attempt to change the status quo.
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215502
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