Taiwan is stepping up its drone buildup, a push aimed at deterring China that also hands local drone makers a growing customer.

• The military will buy small numbers of night-vision and tethered multi-rotor drones, plus eight other new-tech systems, so combat units can test them before mass production.
• Taiwan's cabinet has set aside a large extra budget this year for coastal surveillance and other unmanned craft, and a new drone law is now in force.
• Tethered drones draw power through a cable, so they can stay in the air for hours — useful for standing watch and relaying radio signals over hills.
• The army's drone training center was upgraded to a full unmanned systems command in April, with President Lai Ching-te visiting this week to back more spending on research and training.
• A drone industry park in Minxiong is due to be finished by 2028 to build out Taiwan's own supply chain.

Outlook: Expect test results from frontline units to decide which systems get ordered in bulk, with Taiwan's domestic drone industry the likely winner.