Taiwan is spending big to shoot down Chinese drones, a sign that cheap unmanned aircraft are now treated as a front-line threat to the island.

• The army has set aside about NT$18.8 billion through 2029 to buy 1,114 counter-drone systems for ground troops.
• Most of that gear will be bought from abroad, after the local supplier failed three rounds of testing.
• A second, smaller portable jamming system will still be made in Taiwan, using radio signals to detect, jam, or take over incoming drones.
• The systems are meant to guard command posts, navy ships, air defense radar, airports, and other key sites from Chinese drone harassment.
• Jamming is designed to force enemy drones into manual aiming, making their strikes far less accurate.

Outlook: Expect more foreign defense contracts as Taiwan races to plug gaps its own industry has not been able to fill.