At Thursday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Premier Cho Jung-tai was briefed by the Ministry of National Defense on the planned implementation of a special procurement act to enhance defensive resilience and asymmetric capabilities. The premier said that—given the Chinese Communist Party's escalation of gray-zone harassment and other threats toward Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region—Taiwan intends to allocate a special budget of NT$1.25 trillion (approximately US$39.6 billion) for 2026 through 2033 to procure advanced military equipment and strengthen the nation's overall defense capabilities.
Premier Cho elaborated on the three key focuses of the special budget. The first is developing the "T-Dome" air and missile defense system to protect Taiwan's airspace and critical infrastructure. The second is integrating AI and other advanced technologies to establish a high-tech kill chain. The third is strengthening self-reliance in the development of the defense industry by leveraging Taiwan-U.S. cooperation and growing demand for defense drones, with the aim of expanding the independent capacity of local manufacturers, establishing non-red supply chains, promoting defense industry development and stimulating domestic economic growth.
Premier Cho highlighted that the special budget will reinforce Taiwan's defense resilience through the acquisition of the following advanced weapons and equipment: (1) precision artillery; (2) long-range precision strike missiles; (3) air-defense, anti-ballistic and anti-armor missiles; (4) drones and counter-drone systems; (5) equipment that enhances operational sustainment; (6) AI-assisted and C5ISR systems; and (7) equipment and systems jointly developed or procured through Taiwan-U.S. cooperation. The special act's budget ceiling and procurement items are still awaiting confirmation by the Legislative Yuan during a fourth round of cross-party negotiations scheduled for May 6. The premier therefore reiterated his call for all parties to lend their support, emphasizing that national security and the protection of people's lives and property should be the top priority.