US diplomat urges Taiwan to build a dense drone force to deter conflict

The top United States diplomat in Taiwan has urged the island to build what he called a "hornet's nest" of drones, saying the technology could help deter conflict and strengthen regional security. Raymond Greene made the remarks at a drone forum in Taichung on Thursday, describing drones as a "game-changing opportunity" for Taiwan's defence. He said the United States and Taiwan could help anchor democratic drone production and reinforce deterrence.

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Greene, who heads the American Institute in Taiwan, said Taiwan should develop air, surface and subsurface drones in large numbers. He linked the proposal to lessons from Ukraine, saying drones had significantly boosted defenders even when they faced overwhelming odds. His comments came as Taiwan continues to modernise its military and increase defence spending in response to what it describes as a stepped-up threat from China.

The remarks also reflect the close but unofficial security relationship between Washington and Taipei. The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and opposes continued US support for the island, making defence cooperation a sensitive issue in wider cross-strait relations.

Taiwan has already prioritised drones and other asymmetric systems in its defence planning. In May, the opposition-dominated parliament approved only two-thirds of the $40bn in extra defence spending requested by President William Lai Ching-te, and earmarked the funds only for US arms. The government has since proposed a new 210 billion Taiwan dollar package, worth about US$6.59bn, to pay for surveillance, coastal attack and small unmanned surface drones through the end of 2031.

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The debate over drones comes as Taiwan weighs how to strengthen deterrence without matching China ship for ship or aircraft for aircraft. Supporters of the approach argue that smaller, cheaper systems can complicate an adversary's planning and improve resilience in a crisis. The issue has also become part of domestic politics, with the Kuomintang this week proposing its own drone legislation with a spending cap of 240 billion Taiwan dollars over six years.

What remains unclear is how quickly Taiwan can expand production, secure funding and turn the plans into deployable capability. It is also not clear how the latest proposals will interact with earlier defence spending disputes in parliament or with any future US arms decisions. For now, the comments underline how drones have become central to Taiwan's defence debate and to the broader contest over security in the Taiwan Strait.

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