Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has opened bidding for what officials say will be the country’s largest military drone purchase yet, a five-model program covering 48,000 unmanned aircraft valued at up to NT$50 billion (approx. US$1.55 billion). The tender lays out technical requirements for drones to be delivered between 2026 and 2027 and signals the start of mass production for Taiwan’s fast-growing defense UAV industry.