Reviewing Drone Versions, National Security Official Proposes 3 Standards Including Supplementing Original Military Construction Needs

(Central News Agency Reporter Wen Kuei-hsiang Taipei, June 30) The legislative caucuses of the Kuomintang and Taiwan People's Party, along with the Executive Yuan, have all proposed versions of the drone ordinance. A national security official stated today that when evaluating the feasibility of each version, three standards will be considered: whether it supplements the original drone needs, conforms to the original procurement and commissioning timelines, and balances national defense equipment with industrial capacity. If any version fails to meet these three standards, or merely uses industrial development as a pretext or delays military construction by listing it in the annual budget, it is merely "playing games."

The Executive Yuan passed the draft special act for the procurement of self-reliant unmanned vehicles on June 18, allocating a special budget with a ceiling of NT$210 billion. The Kuomintang caucus plans to propose the "National Defense Self-Reliance Unmanned Vehicle Technology Development and Procurement Act," which would allocate funds over six years through the annual budget, totaling NT$240 billion. The Taiwan People's Party caucus version, based on fiscal discipline, would revert to the general budget and prevent special budgets from becoming normalized.

A national security official stated this afternoon that the feasibility of each version can be examined against three standards. First, whether it can supplement the deficiencies in drones from the previous "Special Act for the Procurement of Plans to Defend National Security and Strengthen Asymmetric Combat Power." The Executive Yuan's version, proposed by the Ministry of National Defense, has incorporated these related needs, covering the urgent and necessary combat power construction, and is also an important item jointly deliberated by the Ministry of National Defense and allies. If the opposition's versions do not reflect these needs, they do not genuinely support national defense construction.

Second, whether it can meet the originally planned drone procurement and commissioning timeline. The national security official pointed out that it takes a certain amount of time for drones from establishing production lines to equipment production and procurement bidding. However, all laws related to drones have been delayed. If the new versions proposed by the ruling and opposition parties cannot correspond to existing procurement needs, quantities, and military construction timelines, even if the content differs, they are merely "playing games."

The national security official stated that the third standard is whether it can balance the needs for national defense equipment with the establishment of industrial capacity. If the draft drone ordinances proposed by the ruling and opposition parties, under the guise of supporting industrial development, exclude the necessity of national defense equipment procurement and the establishment of industrial capacity, then they are "opposing industrial development in the name of industry, and obstructing national defense in the name of supporting national defense."

Regarding the budget allocation method, the national security official said that using a special budget can initiate the relevant capacity building at once. If it is changed to an annual budget allocated year by year, it will face the risk of delays in budget review. Taking the review of the central government's general budget for fiscal year 115 as an example, it has already been delayed by about 300 days. If such delays occur in the future, it may significantly extend the timeline for drone military construction.

The national security official pointed out that current annual budgets, including the defense budget, have been affected by delays in legislative review. Therefore, if one advocates for changing to an annual budget, they should first explain how to ensure that budget review delays will not recur in the future, otherwise it is difficult to ensure the progress of military construction.

The national security official stated that the differences between the ruling and opposition parties' drone versions can be examined through these three standards. The purpose of the Executive Yuan's promotion of the draft special act for drones is to supplement the drone combat power items that were lacking in the national defense special act previously passed by the opposition parties. If related equipment needs cannot be fully met, and production capacity and commissioning timelines cannot be ensured, it deviates from the legislative purpose and can hardly be considered as genuinely supporting national defense and industrial development. (Editor: Lin Ke-lun, Lin Hsing-meng) 1150630

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