The US has agreed to transfer titanium investment casting process technology to Taiwanese companies, providing them the capability to produce aerospace and military-grade titanium, a senior Ministry of National Defense official said yesterday.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has agreed to provide the technology transfer and technical know-how and training in the areas of radiographic and penetrant inspection, hot isostatic pressure processing, pyrometric control, weld inspection methodology and aerospace standard certification, said the official, who declined to be identified.
The US firm’s industrial cooperation project with Taiwan seeks to assist the local defense industry in enhancing and upgrading existing capabilities, the official said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of National Defense
The project is part of an arms deal, in which the US has agreed to transfer technologies related to the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) upgrade package for the MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system, the official added.
The arms package consists of six sets of PAC-3 missile systems and upgrade packages to convert three sets of PAC-2 systems to PAC-3 specification at a total cost of NT$179.1 billion (US$5.96 billion), the official said.
The missile deliveries and upgrades are expected to conclude by 2021, the official added.
Taiwan could apply the technology to its domestically produced missiles and aircraft, as well as key precision equipment, the official said, adding that it would provide an indeterminable boost to the nation’s defense technologies.
The US firm, the primary contractor for the PAC-3 package, said it has received approval from the US government for the technology transfer.
The company’s representative has already submitted a technology transfer proposal to the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the official said.
“We will invite all eligible aerospace companies to attend an event at which pertinent information regarding the technology transfer would be made available,” the official said.
MISINFORMATION: The generated content tends to adopt China’s official stance, such as ‘Taiwan is currently governed by the Chinese central government,’ the NSB said Five China-developed artificial intelligence (AI) language models exhibit cybersecurity risks and content biases, an inspection conducted by the National Security Bureau (NSB) showed. The five AI tools are: DeepSeek, Doubao (豆包), Yiyan (文心一言), Tongyi (通義千問) and Yuanbao (騰訊元寶), the bureau said, advising people to remain vigilant to protect personal data privacy and corporate business secrets. The NSB said it, in accordance with the National Intelligence Services Act (國家情報工作法), has reviewed international cybersecurity reports and intelligence, and coordinated with the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau and the National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau to conduct an inspection of China-made AI language
BOOST IN CONFIDENCE: The sale sends a clear message of support for Taiwan and dispels rumors that US President Donald Trump ‘sold out’ the nation, an expert said The US government on Thursday announced a possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet parts, which was estimated to cost about US$330 million, in a move that an expert said “sends a clear message of support for Taiwan” amid fears that Washington might be wavering in its attitude toward Taipei. It was the first announcement of an arms sale to Taiwan since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year. The proposed package includes non-standard components, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, as well repair and return support for the F-16, C-130 and Indigenous Defense Fighter aircraft,
CHECKING BOUNDARIES: China wants to disrupt solidarity among democracies and test their red lines, but it is instead pushing nations to become more united, an expert said The US Department of State on Friday expressed deep concern over a Chinese public security agency’s investigation into Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) for “secession.” “China’s actions threaten free speech and erode norms that have underpinned the cross-strait ‘status quo’ for decades,” a US Department of State spokesperson said. The Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau late last month listed Shen as “wanted” and launched an investigation into alleged “secession-related” criminal activities, including his founding of the Kuma Academy, a civil defense organization that prepares people for an invasion by China. The spokesperson said that the US was “deeply concerned” about the bureau investigating Shen
DISPUTE: A Chinese official prompted a formal protest from Tokyo by saying that ‘the dirty head that sticks itself out must be cut off,’ after Takaichi’s Taiwan remarks Four armed China Coast Guard vessels yesterday morning sailed through disputed waters controlled by Japan, amid a diplomatic spat following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments on Taiwan. The four ships sailed around the Senkaku Islands — known as the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台) to Taiwan, and which Taiwan and China also claim — on Saturday before entering Japanese waters yesterday and left, the Japan Coast Guard said. The China Coast Guard said in a statement that it carried out a “rights enforcement patrol” through the waters and that it was a lawful operation. As of the end of last month,
RSS