Taipei is reportedly preparing for “a cross-strait war scenario” with Beijing
Taiwan intends to earmark up to 50 billion TWD ($1.6 billion) for the development of drones that could be used in a potential conflict with Beijing, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing sources. The plan comes as Chinese President Xi Jinping refused to rule out the use of force to bring the self-governed island back into the fold.
According to people familiar with the matter, cited by the newspaper, a three-year government plan seeks to organize private producers of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) into “a national team,” which will develop drones “for several specific missions in a cross-strait war scenario.”
Taipei wants the manufacturers to be ready for orders by July 2023, the report says.
While there are several Taiwanese companies producing commercial UAVs, the island’s military has barely tapped this potential over fears that private firms…
