Taiwan emerging as hub for next-generation unmanned systems: Expert

Washington, Sept. 22 (CNA) Taiwan is emerging as a regional hub for next-generation unmanned systems, a security expert said Tuesday, after a drone made by Taiwan's Thunder Tiger Group was included in the U.S. Department of Defense's Blue UAS Cleared List.

"Thunder Tiger's Blue UAS certification is a milestone that signals Taiwan's defense industry can now produce unmanned systems that meet the U.S. Department of Defense's strictest cybersecurity, supply chain, and operational standards," Sunny Cheung (張崑陽), a fellow for China Studies at the Jamestown Foundation, told CNA.

On Sept. 20, Thunder Tiger's "Overkill," a first-person-view (FPV) suicide drone, became the first drone from Taiwan to meet the Pentagon's stringent requirements for U.S. military use.

"For Taiwan, this not only accelerates the military's planned deployment of tens of thousands of FPV drones but also establishes a gold standard for local companies to follow, fostering a self-sufficient defense ecosystem," Cheung said.

The Blue UAS clearance provides a trusted pathway for integrating Taiwanese drones into U.S. and allied networks, he added.

This development, the security expert said, signals that Taiwan is "becoming part of a wider allied defense technology network, reinforcing deterrence against Beijing and positioning Taiwan as a regional innovation hub for secure, next-generation unmanned systems."

Dan Blumenthal, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, praised Taiwan for having a strong local drone industry.

"Taiwan has the manufacturing capability, industrial capacity, and innovative spirit to build a world-class 'red free' drone industry," Blumenthal said.

Meanwhile, U.S.-Taiwan Business Council Vice President Lotta Danielsson also praised Thunder Tiger for being the first Taiwan company on the Blue UAS Cleared List.

"To make the list, systems must pass rigorous supply chain audits and extensive cybersecurity reviews, and must be validated as meeting federal standards," Danielsson said.

According to him, the U.S government statement of trust in the company, and in the Overkill FPV drone specifically, should open up potential U.S. and other allied market opportunities for Thunder Tiger.