Taipei: Taiwan’s military is planning to re-categorize military drones as “consumables/munitions” instead of as airplanes, as they used to be, to speed up the procurement process, the Army confirmed to CNA on Sunday.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Army Command Headquarters stated that the decision was made because drones, like munitions, need to be rapidly replaced and thus should be categorized as consumables/munitions “to meet the Army’s practical needs.” The headquarters’ confirmation followed a report by the Chinese-language Liberty Times, which indicated that Taiwan’s Army is about to make the classification change based on the example of the United States, Taiwan’s largest arms provider.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new drone policy in July, treating some smaller uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) as “consumables,” rather than durable property, because they are more similar to hand grenades and other ammunition than aircraft. Under the U.S. plan, lower-level commanders will also be able to procure smaller UASs directly and authorize subordinates to operate them.
An unnamed source quoted by the Liberty Times noted that by listing UAS as munitions, Taiwan’s military will significantly streamline the procurement process, speeding up the time needed to receive and deploy drones.
According to a memo on the U.S. policy change released by Hegseth, Group 1 and Group 2 UASs will now be “accounted for as consumable commodities, not durable property.” The Pentagon defines Group 1 drones as those weighing up to 20 pounds, flying at altitudes up to 1,200 feet, and reaching speeds of up to 100 knots. Group 2 includes drones with weights between 21 and 55 pounds, flying at altitudes up to 3,500 feet, and achieving speeds of up to 250 knots.
Su Tzu-yun, a division director at the military-funded Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told CNA that the policy change would expedite and make drone procurement more flexible for Taiwan’s armed forces. It would also enable closer collaboration with private drone manufacturers, facilitating faster production to meet the demands of modern warfare.
Su emphasized the necessity for Taiwan to increase its drone production capabilities quickly, citing the Russian-Ukraine conflict as an example. He mentioned that Ukraine is currently producing three million drones annually to defend against Russia, given that smaller drones have a penetration rate of only 10 percent. This underscores the urgency for Taiwan to enhance its drone capabilities to defend against potential threats from China.