The US Navy is seeking a second-generation tactical resupply drone for the Marine Corps, requiring a fuel-powered or hybrid aircraft to carry 100 pounds (about 45 kilograms) of cargo for 40 nautical miles (about 74 kilometers) and return without refueling. Flight demonstrations are scheduled from January 25 to February 5, 2027, in Huntsville, Alabama, with applications due by November 30, 2026.

As Taiwan's drone procurement program moves forward, the Navy is preparing to acquire more than 1,300 small suicide unmanned boats, with a budget approaching NT$30 billion (US$913 million). The tender could launch as early as the end of 2026, prompting local and overseas suppliers to form partnerships and showcase their capabilities at this week's Taiwan Ocean Technology and Unmanned Vehicle Show.

Ukrainian defense tech company UFORCE, creator of the Magura unmanned surface vessel credited with disabling or sinking 19 Russian warships in the Black Sea and emerging as a primary threat to Russian naval operations, is actively forging ties with Taiwanese suppliers. Ukraine's real-world combat validation is positioned to act as a launchpad for Taiwanese manufacturers entering the global defense sector.

The Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) released a report on November 4 at the 2026 Taiwan Marine Tech & Unmanned Robotics Expo (MATURE Taiwan), examining Taiwan's unmanned boat industry and international cooperation. Experts from Ukraine and the US urged Taiwan and its allies to connect technology networks and move faster.

Taiwan-based IC design house ELAN Microelectronics has announced that a joint proposal submitted with Thunder Tiger and Gallopwave—titled the "Domestic AI Smart Dual-Use Drone Platform and Advanced Handheld Ground Station Comprehensive Solution Project"—has passed review by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) under its IC Top Program and received government subsidies. The project aligns with Taiwan's policy on dual-use drones, which mandates that UAVs procured by public-sector entities and utilized in commercial applications meet military-civilian shared-use standards.

Taiwan has launched its first maritime unmanned vehicle exhibition, drawing major military unmanned boat makers from the US, UK, Singapore, and other countries to showcase technologies and explore opportunities in the island's expanding defense technology market.

Thunder Tiger has made steady progress in its unmanned aerial vehicle business while also pursuing opportunities in unmanned surface vessels (USVs). At the 2026 Taiwan Marine Tech & Unmanned Robotics Expo (MATURE Taiwan) held this week, Thunder Tiger conducted a live demonstration of its self-developed and self-manufactured SeaShark 600 USV. Chairman William Chen also outlined the company's research and development achievements for the SeaShark series.

As the US Drone Dominance Program (DDP) expands procurement, orders exceeding 10,000 units will generate significant economies of scale across the drone supply chain. The program's third phase, scheduled to begin in early 2027 and dubbed the industry's "final boss," will raise both procurement volumes and technical requirements, creating an opening for Taiwan suppliers to secure positions in the edge AI supply chain.

Qisda President Cally Ko said future infrastructure supporting autonomous physical AI would evolve beyond simply providing connectivity and power to also deliver sensing, computing, and autonomous dispatching capabilities. She also disclosed that the company's commercial drones had already secured orders and entered production, while its quadruped robots were expected to be unveiled publicly in early 2027.

Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corp. (CIRC), a subsidiary of Coretronic Group, is partnering with US drone maker Aevex Aerospace to pursue Taiwan government tenders and opportunities in overseas markets. According to CoreIntelligence Holdings (CiHC) president Frank Ho, the partnership combines CIRC's manufacturing and maintenance capabilities in Taiwan with Aevex's 3D-printing technology to improve production speed, flexibility, and cost competitiveness.

AerosoarX founder Max Lo has returned to Taiwan's drone industry with a distributed manufacturing strategy to link local suppliers with democratic allies. As global orders grow, the company plans to challenge expanding US defense firms while avoiding the excess capacity associated with large-scale factories and volatile drone demand.

Max Lo, founder of GEOSAT Aerospace & Technology, has launched AerosoarX to shift Taiwan's drone sector from standalone manufacturing toward international defense-system integration. The company is pursuing partnerships with democratic allies, supplying drones to the US and the Middle East, and preparing a Taiwan listing as it builds supply-chain resilience.

Elan Microelectronics is pursuing drone opportunities across multiple applications, showcasing a broad range of solutions at the 2026 TAITRONICS expo. Solutions developed with Taiwanese drone maker Thunder Tiger stood out at the company's exhibition area, with several offerings expected to begin contributing to revenue in 2026 and 2027.

Motor manufacturer Racing Electric Instrument (REI) is expanding from propulsion systems into electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) payloads and inertial navigation for drones, targeting gaps in Taiwan's unmanned systems supply chain and supporting the development of locally controlled drone technologies.

Racing Electric Instrument (REI), which built its business on defense and aerospace motors, is expanding into the commercial unmanned vehicle market, targeting power systems for drones and robots. REI chairman Chieh-tsun Lai said the company's experience in designing, manufacturing, and validating motors for highly demanding defense and aerospace applications gives it advantages over conventional industrial motor suppliers.

China's Ministry of Commerce, General Administration of Customs, and military authorities jointly announced revised export controls on drones on October 19, covering complete aircraft, critical components, software, and technologies meeting specified technical thresholds. The measures will take effect on November 18, 2026, requiring export licenses for affected items.

DJI has launched Dock 4, its first drone station supporting automated battery swaps, alongside the new Matrice 5TD enterprise drone. The system completes a battery swap in 25 seconds and returns to flight operations within 45 seconds, but regulatory barriers are blocking its entry into the US market.

US defense companies are increasingly setting up partnerships in Taiwan, moving beyond component procurement to joint development, system integration, local manufacturing, maintenance support, and joint production for the US and its allies. The shift is strengthening Taiwan's role in the defense supply chain while helping local companies build military manufacturing and sustainment capabilities.

Myson Century, a subsidiary of Sun Yad Group, signed strategic memorandums of understanding with IXI EW, SafeSky Systems USA, and Global Ordnance Group at the Association of the United States Army's 2026 Annual Meeting and Exposition, or AUSA 2026. The agreements link counter-drone, unmanned vehicle, and defense supply-chain resources, creating opportunities to expand the company's product portfolio and develop markets in Taiwan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

Thunder Tiger showcased its latest defense systems at AUSA 2026, the Association of the United States Army's annual exhibition in the US, marking its fourth consecutive appearance at the event and its largest booth to date. The Taiwan-based company presented three key products in a bid to capture US defense opportunities.

US defense technology company Shield AI has delivered its first V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aircraft to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration after winning a contract. The company expects to deliver 12 aircraft in the coming months and will work with Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) to support logistics, maintenance, training, autonomous systems integration, deployment, and scaled operations in Taiwan.

South Korean wireless communications module maker Nucode has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with US drone identification and airspace intelligence provider Zing Drone Solutions to develop and supply electronic component modules for ultra-small and small-scale solutions. Nucode's NU87 module, which uses a Realtek chip, is among the products submitted for evaluation.

Winmate posted September 2026 revenue of NT$535 million (approx. US$16.8 million), up 31.8% month-on-month and 95.9% year-on-year, driven by strong end-market demand in defense, semiconductors, and edge AI. The industrial PC maker said robust orders in those segments are powering sales growth and expects overall operations to hit another record in 2027.

As defense technology and unmanned vehicles increasingly extend beyond traditional defense industries into the ICT and semiconductor sectors, Taiwan's manufacturers are being urged to go beyond the role of component suppliers and strengthen their system integration (SI) capabilities. That was the message from Lo Cheng-fang, honorary chairman of the Asia UAV Additive Manufacturing Industry Association, at a forum on October 6.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans for the creation of a combatant command focused on autonomous warfare and drones. Its planned establishment indicates the turn within the US military toward low-cost and AI-powered systems, which have been pushed to the frontier of defense strategies following ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran.