A bipartisan group of US senators has introduced a bill to enhance cooperation with Taiwan on drone development and to reduce reliance on supply chains linked to China.
The proposed Blue Skies for Taiwan Act of 2026 was introduced by Republican US senators Ted Cruz and John Curtis, and Democratic US senators Jeff Merkley and Andy Kim.
The legislation seeks to ease constraints on Taiwan-US cooperation in uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), including dependence on China-sourced components, limited access to capital and regulatory barriers under US export controls, a news release issued by Cruz on Wednesday said.
Photo: AFP
The bill would establish a "Blue UAS Working Group," led by the US departments of state and defense, to assess Taiwan's drone production capacity and identify opportunities and obstacles to integrating Taiwan-made components into US defense supply chains.
It also calls for the establishment of a cooperative framework with regional allies to develop supply chains independent of China, while directing US agencies to create a fast-track certification process for Taiwanese drone manufacturers and component suppliers.
The Chinese Communist Party "expends countless resources" to isolate Taiwan internationally, Cruz said, adding that the bill would modernize drone supply chains and deepen Taiwan-US defense cooperation.
Support for Taiwan remains "ironclad" as pressure from Beijing increases, Merkley said.
The legislation would expand bilateral cooperation to build secure drone systems while reducing reliance on China and reinforcing regional deterrence, Curtis said.
Kim highlighted the growing importance of drones in modern defense, saying that the US and its partners are not producing them at sufficient scale, while China dominates the supply of commercially available components.
Supporting Taiwan's drone industry through legislation would help close that gap and enhance long-term stability for the US and its allies, he said.
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