Taiwan yesterday unveiled its first missile to be jointly manufactured with a US company, marking a major step in the fast-growing defense cooperation between Taipei and Washington to counter China’s military threat.
President William Lai (賴清德) in June said he would deepen security cooperation with the US and the nation would jointly develop and manufacture weapons.
Ahead of the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition, the military-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) put on display Barracuda-500, an autonomous, low-cost cruise missile designed by US defense technology start-up Anduril Industries.
Photo: Wu Che-yu, Taipei Times
The NCSIST said that through technology transfer, it plans to mass produce in Taiwan the missile, designed for group attacks on warships and similar to exploding drones.
The NCSIST declined to offer details such as a timeline for production or expected volume.
"This is a new endeavor. We aim to build our own defense capabilities more swiftly and efficiently, incorporating the latest technologies," NCSIST president Lee Shih-chiang (李世強) said.
Anduril Industries did not respond to a request for comment sent outside of US business hours.
Taiwan’s goal is to build the entire production line locally and to keep the cost per missile below NT$6.5 million (US$216,493), Lee said.
"Should hostilities break out, should we face blockade, we are not like Ukraine, which still has the European continent to provide a steady, uninterrupted flow of reinforcements," he said. "All our resilience must be built upon this island."
Lee said the NCSIST would sign two contracts and six memorandums of understanding with six unspecified US and Canadian companies during the three-day trade show that opens today.
Taiwan has set a goal of spending 5 percent of its GDP on defense by 2030, up from a target of 3.3 percent next year, and is keen for greater international support aside from the US.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS