Taiwan should transform into a "hornet's nest" of drones to deter conflict and bolster security, according to Raymond Greene, the top US diplomat to the self-governing island. Speaking at a drone forum in Taichung, Greene described drones as a "game-changing opportunity" to enhance Taiwan's defense and reinforce regional peace.

"Nothing will deter conflict more effectively than turning Taiwan into a hornet's nest of air, surface and subsurface drones," Greene said, citing the war in Ukraine as an example where drones have empowered defenders against larger forces.

Taiwan's government has prioritized drones and asymmetric warfare systems. President William Lai Ching-te proposed a new NT$210 billion (US$6.59 billion) package to fund surveillance, coastal attack, and small unmanned surface drones through 2031. However, the opposition-controlled parliament previously approved only two-thirds of the requested $40 billion in extra defense spending.

The main opposition party, Kuomintang, introduced its own drone legislation with a spending cap of NT$240 billion (US$7.5 billion) over six years, funded from the main budget rather than a special budget as the government prefers.

The US remains Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, despite lacking formal diplomatic ties. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes US support for the island. Lai rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, asserting that only the island's people can decide their future.

Source: www.aljazeera.com