TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君) on Monday defended her drone-related cuts to the 2026 budget.
Citing a need to return funding to the normal budget process, the opposition coalition passed a NT$780 billion (US$24 billion) special defense budget that cut drone programs from the government’s original NT$1.25 trillion proposal. Ma argued the special defense budget should be scrapped entirely, saying the items have no need to bypass regular legislative oversight, per UDN.
Ma proposed cutting NT$576 million from the Ministry of National Defense’s drone development spending, freezing NT$456 million in drone countermeasure procurement for the Army Command, and freezing NT$37 million for the Navy Command's program, per Liberty Times.
Ma opposed funding the development project unless Taiwan uses only domestic drones. Regarding the countermeasure programs, she noted the winning contractor failed inspections in October 2025 and March 2026, and said she requires a defense ministry report before the firm can fulfill the order.
The cuts drew sharp criticism from the DPP Legislator Wang Ting-yu (王定宇), who warned that cutting drone spending hurts Taiwan’s military and benefits only China, per UDN. Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) added that the cuts harm Taiwan’s domestic drone industry, per TTV.
Ma countered that previous procurements involved underperforming drones, demanding that the government clearly outline equipment specifications and purposes, per UP Media. She responded to Chen by arguing that poor planning and waste are what truly damage local industries, per ETtoday.
As an example, Ma claimed the defense department once planned to buy strategic reserve bottled water for NT$120 a bottle when identical products cost NT$8.
Ma has previously criticized Taiwan's domestic drones as expensive and vulnerable to jamming, per PTS. She also questioned purchasing Altius 600M and other Anduril drones, arguing they lack the combat certification of systems used in Ukraine or the Middle East, per Liberty Times.
