US completes deliveries of suicide dronesBy Lo Tien-pin, Wu Che-yu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporters, with staff writerTaiwan has received 291 Anduril Altius 600M Switchblade kamikaze drones, marking the full delivery of the weapons system from the US defense contractor, the Ministry of National Defense said. The armed forces have initiated the process of fielding the newly acquired Switchblade drones, MQ-9B Reaper surveillance and attack drones, M136 Volcano Vehicle-Launched Scatterable Mine Systems and improved parachutes, the ministry said. The move spelled a partial end to the fight over defense budgets, as opposition lawmakers also allowed the Cabinet’s version of the NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget to be forwarded for discussion next week. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have proposed bills as alternatives to the government’s special defense budget. Dividing the program’s funding sources between the special defense budget and the annual budget would introduce uncertainty and organizational complications that would negatively impact the deployment of many weapon and sensor systems, the official added.

Source: Taipei Times March 19, 2026 17:14 UTC