Representatives from 25 US defense contractors are scheduled to arrive in Taiwan on Tuesday next week to attend an industry forum and meet with local officials, a military source said on Wednesday.
Aside from attending the half-day Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum, the delegation would also visit the Ministry of National Defense and Taiwan’s top military research unit, the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, the source said.
Among the 25 visiting companies are AeroVironment, the maker of Switchblade 300 loitering munition, commonly known as a “suicide drone,” which has been used to great effect by Ukraine in its war with Russia, the source said.
Photo: CNA
The company’s representatives are expected to exchange views with officials at the research institute, which has begun making its own version of the loitering munition, the source said.
The Taiwan-developed loitering munition is set to undergo operational trials in July and enter mass production next year, they added.
The institute announced earlier this year that it was working closely with the private sector to develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military use in the hope of building a “UAV fleet” next year.
The US-Taiwan Business Council, the main organizer of the forum, said that the event would feature addresses from council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers and other experts and representatives from defense companies.
The event is to be held at Taipei International Convention Center on Wednesday next week.
Attendees are expected to discuss planned joint projects that can help support Taiwan’s national security needs in the face of geopolitical risk, the organizers said.
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