25 U.S. defense contractors to visit Taiwan next week for forum: Source
ROC Central News Agency
04/27/2023 02:08 PM
Taipei, April 27 (CNA) Representatives from 25 U.S. defense contractors will arrive in Taiwan next Tuesday to attend an industry forum and meet with local officials, a military source told CNA Wednesday.
Aside from attending the half-day Taiwan-US Defense Industry Forum, the delegation will also visit Taiwan's defense ministry and the country's top military research unit, the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), 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 ongoing war with Russia, according to the source.
The company's representatives are expected to exchange views with NCSIST as the latter is now making its own version of the loitering munition, the source said.
According to the source, the NCSIST-developed loitering munition is set to undergo operational trials in July and enter mass production next year.
The NCSIST announced earlier this year that it was working closely with the private sector to develop unmanned aviation vehicles (UAVs) for military use in the hope of building a "UAV fleet" next year.
According to the U.S.-Taiwan Business Council, the main organizer of the Taiwan-U.S. Defense Industry Forum, the half-day forum will be held at Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) next Wednesday.
It will feature addresses from U.S.-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers and other experts and representatives from defense companies.
Attendees are set to discuss how defense businesses can collaborate to help support Taiwan's national security needs in the face of geopolitical risk, according to the forum's organizers.
(By Matt Yu and Joseph Yeh)
Enditem/ASG
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