Taiwan's Thunder Tiger Unveils New Attack Drone, Enters U.S. Military Market

Taiwanese drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger Corporation showcased its new Papa Delta PD-136 attack drone and the advanced PD-136J version at the 2026 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting, and announced that its short-range FPV drone has passed the U.S. military's Blue UAS certification. General Manager Su Sheng-chieh pointed out that the adoption of aluminum alloy stamping technology can significantly increase production capacity, and the trend of removing the red supply chain also brings benefits to the development of Taiwan's military drones.

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A drone with a shape similar to the Iranian Shahed-136 delta-wing suicide drone, which has appeared frequently in the Russia-Ukraine war, was seen at the defense exhibition of the 2026 AUSA Annual Meeting. This is the Papa Delta PD-136 attack drone exhibited by Taiwanese drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger Corporation. Su Sheng-chieh, General Manager of Thunder Tiger, stated that the Papa Delta uses a newly developed aluminum alloy stamped airframe, which allows for rapid mass production.

"We are using an approach like Tesla's, using aluminum stamping. With a large stamping press, once it's stamped, the body of the aircraft is formed. By joining the two halves of the body and adding an engine, it can fly. So our focus is on the speed of this lightweight stamping process. Typically, making one unit might take a week, but with our stamping method, we can stamp several or even dozens of units in a day. Combined with a good engine, we can produce this delta-wing unmanned vehicle. We have currently received a lot of interest from many American companies in this regard."

The Papa Delta PD-136 costs approximately $35,000 per unit, uses a two-stroke piston engine, has a payload of about 12 kilograms, and a range of about 500 kilometers. The advanced PD-136J model uses a turbojet engine, has a range of about 300 kilometers, but can reach speeds of 500 kilometers per hour. Both engines are produced domestically in Taiwan.

Su Sheng-chieh stated that Thunder Tiger's short-range FPV drones have performed well in the international market, and its Overkill series of drones has already sold 1,520 units to the U.S. military system. "The first is the short-range FPV system. Currently, this system has passed the U.S. Blue UAS certification. We are the only company in Asia to have achieved this."

Su Sheng-chieh noted that the increasing international demand for removing the red supply chain is very favorable for the future development of Taiwan's military drone sector. "The U.S. and Israel each have their own expertise, so I think, for example, FPV is our specialty, so what we make is definitely quite good. However, for military use, it is mainly about security, efficiency, and effectiveness. In this regard, the removal of the red supply chain—whether at the industrial or military level—is very favorable for Taiwanese companies as there is a requirement to remove the red supply chain."

Report by VOA reporter Liu Wen-ming from Washington