Defense

Taiwan's defense spending will reach 3.32 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) next year, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said Thursday, adding that the planned budget increase underscores the nation's commitment to safeguarding national security.

Taiwan's military is probing an incident early Wednesday when one of its Patriot PAC-2 missiles reportedly exploded shortly after launch during an annual precision munition drill in southern Taiwan, a military source told CNA.

Taiwan's military is planning to re-categorize military drones as "consumables/munitions" instead of as airplanes, as they used to be, to speed up the procurement process, the Army confirmed to CNA on Sunday.

Taiwan's military on Thursday unveiled two newly developed drones and a wheeled tank with a 105 mm gun in a video posted on the website of the Military News Agency, highlighting the country's progress in indigenous defense technology.

Taiwan's military is developing bulletproof plates made from boron carbide, a lightweight ceramic material, for use as body armor, according to an export control list released last week by the Ministry of National Defense (MND).

The Taiwan Navy's newly upgraded Kang Ding-class frigate is equipped with more advanced missiles and radar systems, significantly enhancing the warship's surveillance and combat capabilities, a local defense expert said Sunday.

The key takeaways from the recently concluded Han Kuang military exercises include the military's evolving response to gray zone threats, efforts to secure critical maritime and air routes, and the possibility of stationing the Marine Corps' 99th Brigade in northern Taiwan, according to a Taiwan-based think tank.

After the failure of Saturday's mass recall of 24 opposition Kuomintang (KMT) legislators, Taiwan-U.S. relations could be "significantly harmed" if the defense budget is blocked, a U.S. scholar said Tuesday.

A second batch of 42 M1A2T Abrams tanks purchased from the United States arrived at Taipei Port late Sunday and were transported in the early hours of Monday to the Army's Armored Training Command in Hsinchu's Hukou Township.

The 2025 Han Kuang military exercises -- the longest in the history of the annual drills -- have drawn positive feedback for their emphasis on realistic combat training, higher troop visibility, and the debut of new military equipment, despite a few minor incidents during the 10-day period over which the exercises were held.