DEFENSE/Taiwan hosts sea drone exhibition, urges global participation

Suao, June 17 (CNA) Twelve domestic and foreign companies participated in a drone technology exhibition in Yilan on Tuesday, as Taiwan's defense ministry-affiliated institution urged their involvement in national defense, to strengthen deterrence capability against China.

Taiwan's military is set to allocate next year's budget for the large-scale procurement of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) President Li Shih-chiang (李世強) said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the two-day event.

The project will require participation from all, said Li, whose institute is affiliated with Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND). He was speaking to exhibitors, including seven local and five foreign companies.

Li said he wanted to specifically thank the five foreign companies, whom he noted "could be sanctioned by China pretty soon." He urged them not to be afraid of choosing to stand with the camp of democracy and freedom.

The exhibition, being held in the compound of Lungteh ship builder in Yilan county's Suao town, consisted of a static display and a live demonstration highlighting remote-control range, electro-optical imaging capabilities, and basic maneuverability, off the coast of Suao.

The purpose of the event was to encourage exchanges among local and foreign companies and allow each to present the best of their products, said Sun Chun-ching (孫春青), who leads the NCSIST's development projects.

Sun said that the NCSIST will compile the technical specifications and demonstration results from each company, and provide them to domestic agencies interested in procuring USVs.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported on Tuesday that Taiwan's NCSIST has sealed a partnership deal with the United States and German-based Auterion for drone software battle-tested in Ukraine.

Auterion, whose software is used in Ukrainian drones operating combat missions against Russia, said the deal could eventually lead to the technology being used in millions of drones for Taiwan, Reuters reported.

"What we're bringing to the table has been combat-proven in Ukraine to deter aggression and destroy tanks, naval assets, and other really expensive equipment. So by building a large autonomous fleet, Taiwan can deter China," Auterion's chief executive Lorenz Meier told Reuters at the event.

He said the partnership is expected to be very long-term, with the deployment of millions of drones over several years and the creation of hundreds of millions of dollars in value, according to the report.