Thursday, 8 October 2026 · Taipei
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■Lawmaker presses defence ministry over near-threefold cost jump for navy's next two rescue ships■Outnumbered at sea, Taiwan's navy bets on coastal missiles and submarines rather than hulls■Army private on frontline Dongyin indicted for selling classified combat files to Chinese police handler■Taiwan's first land-based Harpoon missiles due by year-end as navy plans fourth littoral combat group■Saronic urges Taiwan to buy reusable autonomous sea drones as grey-zone patrols wear down crews■Taiwan coast guard sends Chiayi and new cutter Penghu to Palau on second Friendship Fleet voyage■Lawmaker presses defence ministry over near-threefold cost jump for navy's next two rescue ships■Outnumbered at sea, Taiwan's navy bets on coastal missiles and submarines rather than hulls■Army private on frontline Dongyin indicted for selling classified combat files to Chinese police handler■Taiwan's first land-based Harpoon missiles due by year-end as navy plans fourth littoral combat group■Saronic urges Taiwan to buy reusable autonomous sea drones as grey-zone patrols wear down crews■Taiwan coast guard sends Chiayi and new cutter Penghu to Palau on second Friendship Fleet voyage
A grey navy rescue and salvage ship with a tall white superstructure and a large crane at the stern sailing on calm water.
Navy

Lawmaker presses defence ministry over near-threefold cost jump for navy's next two rescue ships

Legislator Ma Wen-chun said on 7 October that each planned follow-on Dawu-class rescue ship would cost NT$10.58 billion, almost three times the NT$3.66 billion first ship.

TaiwanDefence · 1h ago · 3 min read

Top Stories

A grey navy destroyer with hull number 1805 moored at a concrete pier in calm blue water, with tall masts and radar domes and green hills behind it.
ANALYSISAnalysis

Outnumbered at sea, Taiwan's navy bets on coastal missiles and submarines rather than hulls

TaiwanDefence · 2h ago · 5 min read

A stone gateway with crenellated walls topped by a statue of a soldier holding a flag, flanked by walls bearing large white characters on red discs, with cars parked in front and hillside houses behind under grey, misty skies.
Cross-Strait

Army private on frontline Dongyin indicted for selling classified combat files to Chinese police handler

TaiwanDefence · 3h ago · 3 min read

A missile trails a white smoke plume into a blue sky after launching from a grey warship, seen from the ship's foredeck with a deck gun in the foreground and open sea behind.
Navy

Taiwan's first land-based Harpoon missiles due by year-end as navy plans fourth littoral combat group

TaiwanDefence · 7h ago · 3 min read

Nine people in business attire give a thumbs-up on stage in front of a banner reading Aerospace and Defense Strategic Forum with TAITRA and TADTE logos.
Industry

Saronic urges Taiwan to buy reusable autonomous sea drones as grey-zone patrols wear down crews

TaiwanDefence · 9h ago · 3 min read

A large white ship marked Taiwan R.O.C. Coast Guard with orange lifeboats, crew in orange uniforms standing along its rails and on the quay under a grey sky.
Indo-Pacific

Taiwan coast guard sends Chiayi and new cutter Penghu to Palau on second Friendship Fleet voyage

TaiwanDefence · 11h ago · 3 min read

Cross-Strait

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A stone gateway with crenellated walls topped by a statue of a soldier holding a flag, flanked by walls bearing large white characters on red discs, with cars parked in front and hillside houses behind under grey, misty skies.
Cross-Strait

Army private on frontline Dongyin indicted for selling classified combat files to Chinese police handler

Kaohsiung prosecutors said on 7 October that a 27-year-old soldier photographed more than 20 secret operations and training files on a military computer in exchange for about NT$790,000.

TaiwanDefence · 3h ago · 3 min read

A white fixed-wing drone with long slender wings and four lift rotors hovers low over the grey flight deck of a ship, with blue sea and sky behind.
Cross-Strait

Taiwan coast guard shows US-made Jump 20 drone and M18 sea drone in public for first time

The Coast Guard Administration brought both uncrewed systems to a National Day rehearsal outside the Presidential Office; the drone is in service while the sea drone is still in training.

TaiwanDefence · 1d ago · 3 min read

Cross-Strait

Retired Taiwanese air force captain indicted for gathering data on intelligence officers for China

1d ago

Cross-Strait

Nine PLA aircraft cross median line as China stages another joint combat readiness patrol near Taiwan

1d ago

Navy

More →
A grey navy rescue and salvage ship with a tall white superstructure and a large crane at the stern sailing on calm water.
Navy

Lawmaker presses defence ministry over near-threefold cost jump for navy's next two rescue ships

Legislator Ma Wen-chun said on 7 October that each planned follow-on Dawu-class rescue ship would cost NT$10.58 billion, almost three times the NT$3.66 billion first ship.

TaiwanDefence · 1h ago · 3 min read

A missile trails a white smoke plume into a blue sky after launching from a grey warship, seen from the ship's foredeck with a deck gun in the foreground and open sea behind.
Navy

Taiwan's first land-based Harpoon missiles due by year-end as navy plans fourth littoral combat group

Senior officials said on 7 October that the first missiles for Taiwan's Harpoon coastal defence system will arrive before the end of the year, with a new littoral combat group to form in 2027.

TaiwanDefence · 7h ago · 3 min read

Navy

US delivers AEVEX Lynx USVs to Taiwan Marine Corps for training

3d ago

Navy

Hai Kun submarine begins late-stage sea trials ahead of delivery

5d ago

Analysis & Commentary

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TaiwanDefence

Outnumbered at sea, Taiwan's navy bets on coastal missiles and submarines rather than hulls

Taiwan's first 128 land-based Harpoons are due by year-end, a senior military source said on 7 October 2026. The buy shows how Taipei is answering a fleet gap it cannot close.

TaiwanDefence

Yonaguni NMESIS package turns Keen Sword into a Taiwan-adjacent sea-denial rehearsal

Reporting dated 5 October 2026 details the first Marine Corps NMESIS and MADIS package planned for Yonaguni in Keen Sword, rehearsing distributed coastal fires within about 110 kilometres of Taiwan.

TaiwanDefence

Japan fields six V-BATs as Taiwan funds drones

On 5 October 2026, Jiji and The Japan Times reported Japan MSDF flying six V-BATs. Taiwan's 27 August NT$240bn drone law and same-day Altius LOA keep the delivery test through 2026-28.

Army

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Two soldiers in camouflage uniforms sit on the bed of a tan military truck beside a large olive-green mine dispenser rack angled toward a clear blue sky, with a blue practice canister loaded at the top.
Army

Taiwan's Volcano minelayers to arrive in a single batch next year as training mines come first

All 14 US-built Volcano mine-laying systems are now due in Taiwan in 2027, later than earlier plans, while the army has signed for inert training mines that arrive by year end.

TaiwanDefence · 15h ago · 3 min read

Army

Taiwan tightens conscription physical standards as exemption rate set to halve

5d ago

Army

Army extends Lu Sheng 2 brigade drill to 10 days with M1A2T tanks

6d ago

Air Force

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F-16V Block 70 fighter jet landing at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung
Air Force

Koo says more F-16Vs due this year, denies EW ballast-weight claim

At the Legislative Yuan, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said more than two Block 70 jets will arrive in 2026 and that electronic-warfare suites are in active software-hardware integration, not replaced by ballast.

TaiwanDefence · 4d ago · 2 min read

Air Force

National Day full-force air ladder rehearsed over Presidential Office

5d ago

Air Force

First F-16V Block 70 jets ferry toward Taiwan after Hawaii stop

6d ago

Air Force

Taiwan completes 66-aircraft Brave Eagle trainer production run

6d ago

Industry

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Nine people in business attire give a thumbs-up on stage in front of a banner reading Aerospace and Defense Strategic Forum with TAITRA and TADTE logos.
Industry

Saronic urges Taiwan to buy reusable autonomous sea drones as grey-zone patrols wear down crews

At a TAITRA defence forum in Taipei on 7 October, US firms argued autonomy would spare ships and sailors, as the trade body unveiled a guide to Taiwan's uncrewed-systems makers.

TaiwanDefence · 9h ago · 3 min read

Industry

Taiwan's economy minister lifts 2030 drone output outlook past NT$50 billion

1d ago

Industry

Taiwan pairs US autonomy tech with yards for sea-drone fleets

4d ago

Industry

Hsiao hails Taiwan Tu Gou robot dog at Taichung dual-use AI show

4d ago

Indo-Pacific

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A large white ship marked Taiwan R.O.C. Coast Guard with orange lifeboats, crew in orange uniforms standing along its rails and on the quay under a grey sky.
Indo-Pacific

Taiwan coast guard sends Chiayi and new cutter Penghu to Palau on second Friendship Fleet voyage

The two patrol vessels docked at Malakal Harbor on 6 October for long-range training, a call on President Whipps and a joint patrol with Palauan law enforcement.

TaiwanDefence · 11h ago · 3 min read

Indo-Pacific

Philippine defence chief seeks brigade-sized Army force and stronger Marine presence on Palawan

13h ago

Indo-Pacific

South Korea moves to curb athletes' military service exemptions as conscript pool shrinks

16h ago

Indo-Pacific

Seoul moves to formally cite North Korea for armistice breaches over DMZ border incursions

19h ago