Legislature passes drone procurement bill with US$7.56bn spending cap

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) The Legislative Yuan on Thursday passed a key budget bill that prioritizes the procurement of indigenous drones, setting a spending cap of NT$240 billion (US$7.56 billion) in principle while allowing additional funding subject to legislative approval.

The opposition-led Act on Strengthening Defense Autonomy and Developing the Unmanned Vehicles Industry was passed with 60 votes for and 50 against in the 113-seat Legislature.

In addition to national defense, the bill focuses heavily on industrial regulation and development, with provisions covering the planning of unmanned vehicle testing sites and requirements for indigenous production levels and cybersecurity compliance.