Thunder Tiger Corp. chief sounds alarm on Taiwan’s nascent drone industry｜Formosa English News

Bilingual text here: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026A05W09EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description 雙語文字版: https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/news/2026A05W09EA?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description Our official website: ➔ https://english.ftvnews.com.tw/ Follow us on Facebook: ➔ https://www.facebook.com/ftvformosanews X (Twitter): ➔ https://x.com/FTV_Taiwan_News The war between Russia and Ukraine first showed the world the importance of drones to modern warfare, particularly for a weaker power in conflict with a much larger neighbor. Experts say Taiwan needs a flourishing drone industry. However, a leading domestic military drone manufacturer is sounding the alarm. Gene Su, the general manager of Thunder Tiger Corp., says he’s worried that government investment in the industry might not be stable and consistent, amid clashes with the opposition-dominated legislature, which would greatly impact research and development. He also points out that there is no regulatory body to oversee the industry in Taiwan. Let’s find out more. Gene Su Thunder Tiger Corp. general manager Elon Musk’s company Starlink claims it won’t offer service to Taiwan. I’ve asked the chair of Chunghwa Telecom several times when we’ll have good low-Earth orbit satellites. Gene Su, the general manager of Thunder Tiger Corp., a leading domestic military drone manufacturer, points out all the difficulties faced by Taiwanese manufacturers. For Taiwan to develop a “non-red supply chain,” three major challenges need to be overcome first. Gene Su Thunder Tiger Corp. general manager For example, in Taiwan we have the Civil Aviation Administration to inspect manned aircraft, and we may have the NCC to inspect telecommunications, but drones, and the hundreds of chips inside drones, who regulates them? Otherwise, import and export manufacturers will have opportunities to attempt to “launder the country of origin,” etc. The Legislative Yuan has passed a drone bill, budgeting NT$240 billion over six years through annual budgets, which has raised some concerns within the industry Gene Su Thunder Tiger Corp. general manager For example, if I invest NT$100 million in tooling and amortize it over six years, I can gradually iterate and improve its performance. We hope the budget for each year will be consistent and continuous. Otherwise, manufacturers end up making A this year, B next year, and C the year after and continuous research and development and investment will not be stable. The Ukraine-Russia war has set a precedent, showing drones have completely changed the face of modern military conflicts. Compared with other countries, Taiwan started developing military drones late. It is urgent for Taiwan to catch up with international trends. For more Taiwan news, tune in: Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152 Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53 #Thundertiger #Taiwandrones #LEOsatellites #dronebudget #nonredsupplychains #crossstrait #Taiwanchina #台灣新聞 #FormosaEnglishNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan