Before Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022, David Liu never imagined making military drones.
But when Taiwan, where he lives, launched a programme to build its own drone industry that year,
he jumped at the chance.
His firm, Kunway Technology, now exports two models to Ukraine via Poland, both "kamikaze" quadcopters.
The bigger of them can carry bombs of up to 8kg and fly at 140kph.
They are twice the price of equivalents from China, the world's biggest drone-maker.
But they have one key selling point: no Chinese components.
Taiwan is not known as an arms exporter.
Since China's defeated Nationalists fled there in 1949 it has been among the world's bigger importers of weaponry,
mostly from America.
Taiwan now makes many of its own arms, but still relies heavily on American ones.
Before 2025 Taiwan's defence exports consisted mainly of some old helicopters and small boats donated to African
and Latin American countries.
That is changing as Taiwan positions itself as a supplier of "non-red" unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs — ie,
without Chinese parts — to America, its allies and other countries worried about China's espionage and control
over industrial supply chains.
Taiwan's production of UAVs has increased from about 10,000 units in 2024 to more than 12 times that in 2025.
Its exports rose more than 35-fold to about 123,000 units last year— almost all its output.
The Czech Republic was its biggest buyer, followed by Poland (see chart).
Industry insiders say their purchases mostly went to Ukraine,