In a bold escalation of its ongoing trade dispute with Washington, China has dramatically tightened its grip on the global supply of critical metals—imposing fresh export restrictions on rare earth elements and slashing shipments of gallium, germanium, and antimony, materials essential to technologies ranging from semiconductors to defense systems.
The drone industry is not the only sector benefiting from defense opportunities. Taiwan's policy on unmanned vehicles includes surface and underwater crafts. Recently, Thunder Tiger announced the registration of its latest unmanned surface vehicle (USV) for a suicide attack boat test under the "Kuachi Project" led by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST). The vessel is set to compete with other attack boats in June, preparing for future orders.
