Taiwan is buying tens of thousands of night-vision devices for its army, a sign the island is preparing harder for a possible night-time fight with China.

• The 2027 defense budget sets aside NT$10.7 billion for 41,000 single-lens and about 10,800 dual-lens night-vision devices, spread over four years.
• The army says troops simply do not have enough of this gear to hold defensive positions in a war.
• The push follows criticism after soldiers were seen doing a night combat drill on Taipei streets without any night-vision gear at all.
• A separate NT$2 billion is going toward new gas masks and filters, replacing protective masks made in the 1980s that can no longer handle chemical, biological, or nuclear threats.

Outlook: Lawmakers now review the budget, and more equipment-gap purchases are likely as Taiwan keeps racing to close basic readiness holes.