Taiwan’s Cabinet is preparing to propose a defense budget exceeding NT$1.1 trillion, approximately $34.1 billion, for fiscal year 2027, representing a 16% increase from the previous year and the first time the island’s annual military spending crosses the NT$1 trillion threshold. The budget will focus on asymmetric warfare capabilities, including mobile anti-ship missiles, sea mines, drone swarms, and hardened coastal defenses, under the « porcupine strategy » backed by Washington. In 2026, total defense spending reached NT$949.5 billion, or 3.32% of GDP, with President Lai Ching-te aiming to raise this to 5% of GDP by 2030. Taiwan launched its first domestically built submarine in 2023 as part of its expanding indigenous defense industrial base.
Source: Read the original article
