Ukrainian military drones have penetrated deep into Russian territory to target key commercial facilities. (Video screenshot)
[People News] Ukraine has recently weaponized low-cost commercial or self-made FPV (first-person view) drones and long-range suicide drones on a large scale. This has not only dealt a significant tactical blow to the Russian military but has also disrupted the traditional great powers' absolute advantage in size and heavy weaponry on a strategic level, achieving remarkable tactical cost-effectiveness. As a major production hub for drone components, Taiwan has seized the strategic opportunity presented by 'de-China componentization,' positioning itself as an essential 'strategic core power' in the global drone industry.
New tactics have sent shockwaves through the military community
Ukraine employs FPV drones that cost only a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, which, when equipped with simple explosives, can accurately incapacitate or even destroy Russian main battle tanks (such as the T-90), armored vehicles, or self-propelled guns valued at millions of dollars.
Moreover, Ukrainian drones frequently venture deep into Russian territory, striking oil refineries, large oil depots, ammunition depots, and railway hubs located far from the border between the two nations. This not only directly diminishes the fuel supply for the Russian military on the front lines but also severely impacts Russia's energy export revenues (the financial resources for the war). Simultaneously, these drones have brought the shadow and real costs of war directly to the attention of Russian elites and ordinary citizens, undermining the Kremlin's narrative of 'complete control of the situation.'
The success of Ukraine's drone tactics has sent shockwaves through the global military community. It demonstrates that in modern warfare, the integration of flexible technology, decentralized innovation capabilities, and resilient tactical intelligence can effectively counter and significantly damage a large but inflexible totalitarian aggressor. This not only serves as a crucial bargaining chip for Ukraine in its defense of sovereignty but is also fundamentally reshaping the rules of global asymmetric warfare in the 21st century.
Ukraine's ability to achieve 'asymmetric strikes' on the drone battlefield can be attributed not only to its robust software development and tactical iteration capabilities but also to the deep complementarity and covert collaboration between Taiwan and Ukraine in hardware components and the 'Non-Red Supply Chain.' This collaboration plays a vital foundational role.
From the standpoint of 'global high-end supply chain status,' 'key component strength,' and 'Non-Red (de-China) defense drone manufacturing,' Taiwan has established itself as an indispensable 'strategic core power' in global drone production. If Taiwan capitalizes on this opportunity, it could achieve even more remarkable results.
Taiwan's Initiative in 'Drone Diplomacy'
On July 17, Jiang Zhenwei, the Executive Director of the Republic of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs 'Drone Diplomacy Task Force,' met with Yavorska Kateryna, the President of the Japan-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce, in Tokyo. They exchanged insights with Taiwanese drone manufacturers on key strategic topics, including joint system development, technology verification, and the establishment of a 'Non-Red Supply Chain.'
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China has released a statement indicating that Minister Lin Jialong (林佳龍) is advocating for drone diplomacy. In October 2025, the Ministry established a "Drone Diplomacy Task Force" specifically tasked with promoting related initiatives. Furthermore, it will assist in the creation of a "Drone International Academy" to foster collaboration with allied nations and countries that share similar values. This meeting is expected to enhance the mutual understanding between Taiwan and Ukraine regarding the drone industry and business opportunities, while also facilitating Ukraine's efforts to build a resilient non-red supply chain, thereby creating new strategic opportunities for the Republic of China's "drone diplomacy."
The Ministry highlighted that the United States possesses cutting-edge technology in the drone sector, while Ukraine has valuable combat experience. Taiwanese enterprises, primarily small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), have significant advantages, including flexible manufacturing capabilities, advanced information and communication technology (ICT), and the ability to integrate a "non-red supply chain." Companies from various nations are keen to establish partnerships with Taiwan's drone industry. Taiwan boasts substantial production capacity for drone components and plans to consolidate component resources in the future, integrating e-commerce systems to provide more avenues for countries to access relevant products from Taiwan.
Taiwan is set to become the brain and heart of the global drone industry.
The essential technologies for drones include chips, communication systems, optical lenses, and energy management. In these fields, Taiwan holds an unmatched absolute advantage.
The AI image recognition chips, edge computing chips (Edge AI), GPS navigation, and anti-jamming chips necessary for drones predominantly rely on Taiwan's advanced manufacturing processes, with suppliers like TSMC and MediaTek leading the way.
Taiwanese companies hold a significant market share in the global high-end supply chain for high-energy-density batteries for drones (such as the strategic battery packs mentioned earlier that support Ukraine), advanced optical lenses, motor controllers (ESC), micro-radars, and communication modules.
The consensus among defense industries in Europe, America, and Ukraine is clear: "High-quality drones cannot be produced without Taiwanese components."
As geopolitical tensions escalate globally and the 'non-red supply chain' (de-China-ization) is established, Taiwan is rapidly emerging as an essential 'heart and brain' for global defense and high-end commercial drones, leveraging its robust semiconductor and precision manufacturing capabilities.
'Breaking through diplomatic barriers via Japan'
From an external viewpoint, the meeting held in Tokyo between Taiwan and Japan is perceived as a chance for Taiwan to convert its 'advantages in semiconductors and precision manufacturing' into 'international geopolitical influence.'
Given the absence of official diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Ukraine, and Ukraine's cautious stance towards the Chinese Communist Party in traditional diplomacy, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs' 'Drone Diplomacy Task Force' opted to engage with the 'Japan-Ukraine Business Association' in Tokyo, successfully establishing a 'Taiwan-Japan-Ukraine' golden triangle strategic model:
Taiwan acts as the 'hardware strength and non-red supply chain,' exporting advanced chips, anti-jamming flight control systems, batteries, and motor technologies.
At the same time, Japan leverages its substantial financial capital, international credibility, and aid channels to Ukraine to facilitate 'political de-risking' for Taiwan-Ukraine collaboration.
On the Ukrainian side, the most accurate electromagnetic countermeasures and non-GPS navigation data from the front lines are relayed back to Taiwanese and Japanese companies.
This flexible strategy of integrating business, democratic values, and national defense cooperation effectively bypasses the diplomatic pressure from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and highlights the unprecedented tactical flexibility of Taiwan's diplomatic team.
Creating a 'Digital Porcupine' Based on Battlefield Data
Currently, the global democratic alliance, which includes the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Ukraine, is thoroughly inspecting and 'removing Chinese components' in the realms of national defense and advanced technology. When Taiwan collaborates with Japan and Ukraine for 'technical verification,' it is essentially setting new security standards and supply chain regulations for military drones within the global democratic alliance.
Ukraine stands as the only real battlefield worldwide currently engaged in high-intensity 'electronic warfare, cyber warfare, and saturation drone warfare.' Through the connections established by the 'Drone Diplomacy Task Force,' Taiwanese companies can access the latest technical parameters of Russian electronic interference in real-time during joint development, allowing them to directly optimize algorithms in Taiwan-made chips and flight control systems. This defense technology, 'tested on the battlefield of Russia and Ukraine,' is poised to become the most formidable 'Digital Porcupine' quills to deter the CCP's potential invasion of Taiwan in the future.
From the establishment of the 'Drone Diplomacy Task Force' by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deep engagements in Tokyo and distant connections in Kyiv, Taiwan has not only accurately seized the moment but has also demonstrated its strength, proving that Taiwan is not merely a subject to be protected but an essential 'guardian mountain' and 'strategic stronghold' for the global democratic alliance in terms of security, technology, and industrial chains.
Establishing a Non-Red Supply Chain
The central topic of this meeting focuses on 'joint system development, technology verification, and the construction of a non-red supply chain.' This indicates that Taiwan's drone industry is experiencing a significant transformation: moving away from China's previous monopoly on global consumer drones, which relied on low prices and state subsidies. Now, the global democratic alliance (comprising the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Ukraine) is thoroughly investigating and 'removing Chinese components' from defense and high-tech sectors. When Taiwan collaborates with Japan and Ukraine for 'technology verification,' it is effectively setting new safety standards and supply chain regulations for military drones within the global democratic alliance.
The most tangible benefit of this collaboration for Taiwan is not the amount of foreign exchange earned, but rather the 'rapid evolution of defense capabilities.' Ukraine is currently the only location in the world engaged in high-intensity 'electronic warfare, cyber warfare, and saturation drone warfare' in real combat situations. Through the efforts of the 'Drone Diplomacy Task Force,' Taiwanese companies can access the latest technical parameters of Russian electronic interference in real-time during joint development, allowing them to directly optimize algorithms in Taiwan-made chips and flight control systems. This defense technology, 'tested on the battlefield of Russia and Ukraine,' is poised to become the most robust 'digital porcupine' defense against potential invasions by the Chinese Communist Party in the future.
From the establishment of the 'Drone Diplomacy Task Force' by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthening connections in Tokyo and reaching out to Kyiv, Taiwan has not only accurately identified the current trends but has also demonstrated its capability: Taiwan is not merely a subject in need of protection, but an essential 'guardian mountain' and 'strategic stronghold' for the global democratic alliance in terms of security, technology, and industrial supply chains.
(First published by People News)
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