TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — American Institute in Taiwan Director Raymond Greene on Thursday urged Taiwan to build a dense “hornet’s nest” of drones, saying unmanned systems could strengthen deterrence against conflict with China, Reuters reported.
Greene made the remarks at a drone industry forum in Taichung. He said drones represent a “game-changing opportunity” for Taiwan’s security and broader regional stability.
Greene said the US and Taiwan can work together to anchor drone production and strengthen deterrence for democracies. He added that lessons from Ukraine show how drones can enhance the capabilities of defenders even against larger forces.
“Nothing will deter conflict more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet's nest of air, surface, and subsurface drones,” he said, describing unmanned systems as central to modern asymmetric warfare.
Taiwan has been expanding investment in drones and other asymmetric capabilities as it faces rising military pressure from China. The government has proposed a NT$210 billion (US$6.5 billion) drone-focused package through 2031 covering surveillance, coastal strike, and unmanned surface systems.
However, funding for defense expansion has faced political friction, Reuters reported. In May, the opposition-controlled legislature approved only part of President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget, limiting allocations mainly to US arms purchases and removing domestic drone funding.
Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕), also speaking at the forum, called for cross-party cooperation on drone development. She said modern warfare has been reshaped by unmanned systems, citing conflicts from Ukraine to Iran.
Despite these remarks, her KMT party has blocked review of the Cabinet’s NT$210 billion drone budget. The KMT has introduced its own drone bill, proposing a six-year cap of NT$240 billion and shifting funding into the regular budget rather than a special one, a move opposed by the government.
