The Taiwanese defense company Thunder Tiger Group has developed its own kamikaze drone, designated Papa Delta, which was first reported in November 2022. Open-source reports have claimed that this Taiwanese drone is a copy of the American LUCAS. However, it is worth noting that this is at least the second Shahed-inspired drone Taiwan has developed.
In August 2023, news emerged about the Chien Hsiang kamikaze drone, developed by Taiwan's NCSIST, which is designed to take out enemy radars and air defense systems.
Read more: China Expands Fleet of Y-20B Airlifters With Indigenous WS-20 Engines, Further Reducing Reliance on russian D-30s
Against this backdrop, an article by Defense News is particularly noteworthy, as it reports that Taiwan—with U.S. support—has committed to the rapid development of its domestic unmanned capabilities, drawing on lessons from the russia–Ukraine war, despite russia's superior resources.
However, the question remains whether the Taiwanese government is willing to make sustained investments in the drone sector amid domestic political disputes.
For instance, Taiwan's parliament, where the opposition Kuomintang holds a majority, approved a defense budget in May 2026 that allocated funding only for the purchase of $40 billion (NT$1.25 trillion) worth of conventional U.S. weapons, rather than domestic drone programs.
At the same time, the Taiwanese government had proposed allocating $6.59 billion (NT$210 billion) by 2031 specifically for the development of UAVs and unmanned surface vessels (USVs). However, this initiative has not yet been implemented.
From Defense Express we would like to note that The situation in Taiwan regarding the development of unmanned technologies is beginning to resemble the old saying about "holding forums for everything good and against everything bad". Defense News reports that a dedicated forum on unmanned technologies was recently held in Taichung, Taiwan, focusing on the role of drones in modern warfare.
However, the choice of venue is particularly significant. Taichung is widely regarded as the heart of Taiwan's unmanned technology industry, while its mayor, Lu Shiow-yen, is considered one of the leading potential candidates for the presidency.
Ivan Kyrychevskyi, serviceman of the 413th Raid Regiment of the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine and weapons expert at Defense Express.
Read more: Could Algeria Secretly Turn to China for J-10 Fighters and KJ-500 AEW&C Aircraft Instead of russia?
