The US and Taiwan cooperate in three key areas to develop drone technology, not only to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, but also to grow the industry, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said.
Citing the success of the Ukrainian military in the Black Sea to neutralize Russia’s modern naval fleet using a combination of drones and uncrewed munitions, Greene said “the defense applications of drones are critically important to preserving peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.”
The de facto US ambassador to Taiwan made the remark in an interview with the Central News Agency on Tuesday in Houston, where he toured XPONENTIAL, a trade show focused on the uncrewed system industry, as part of his trip to attend the SELECTUSA Summit last week with a delegation of Taiwanese investors.
Photo: CNA
Greene identified military and commercial drone applications as key areas for enhanced US-Taiwan cooperation when he took office as AIT director in July last year, expressing hope that bringing together the US’ research and development skills and Taiwan’s manufacturing strength could help boost the drone industry’s growth.
Asked about the latest developments on that front, Greene said the cooperation focuses on three areas: applying artificial intelligence (AI) to drone operations, supply chain integration and investment.
He contrasted past military advancements — centered on GPS and precision-guided munitions — with the future, which he said would be shaped by the application of AI technologies to improve survivability and effectiveness.
On supply chain integration, Greene said it would allow companies on both sides to have “a trusted network” where they can quickly verify and understand that their partners are free of components or other influence from potential adversaries, such as China.
Many Taiwan companies are already looking to invest in the US, partly to meet requirements that a certain percentage of components for Pentagon projects be made locally, and partly because they see a growing number of potential clients, as more state and local governments stop buying drones from China due to security concerns, Greene said.
The use of drones goes far beyond defense, covering everything from environmental tasks to emergency response, agriculture and scientific research, he said.
The Taiwanese delegation was composed of more than 180 businesspeople from more than 130 companies, with a focus on AI and semiconductors, in addition to drones, he said.
Traveling with the delegation, Greene said he had the chance to visit some US and Taiwanese companies, which made him appreciate how closely the US and Taiwan work together across the entire AI supply chain.
Another takeaway from speaking with both US and Taiwanese companies is “how much these three sectors are actually working together to advance the frontiers of US Taiwan competitiveness,” he said.
All of this work leads to not only economic resilience and economic benefits for the US and Taiwan, but also helps achieve US President Donald Trump’s goal of reindustrializing the US, he added.
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