US Defense Firms Urge Taiwanese Companies to Join Defense Industry, Strengthening Societal Resilience

Central News Agency, Taipei, June 2. Regarding US-Taiwan defense industry cooperation, US defense firms shared at an 'Industry Day' hosted by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) that increased participation in the defense sector would generate strength and truly implement societal defense resilience. They also noted that Taiwanese companies are the best suppliers in the world. AIT recently held the 'Industry Day' event, where several US defense firms shared prospects for cooperation with Taiwanese companies. Brandon Tseng, co-founder and president of Shield AI, stated that two years ago, less than 1% of Shield AI's components were made in Taiwan; now it is 16%, and it is expected to reach 25% in two years. He described Taiwanese firms as the 'best suppliers in the world.' Tseng pointed out that Shield AI is prioritizing cooperation with Taiwan's top ten drone manufacturers and will assist in testing Taiwanese-developed drones in June. Shield AI is also supporting Taiwan's sovereign AI development and collaborating with Thunder Tiger and Coretronic. Regarding the best path for procurement (FMS vs. DCS), Tseng emphasized that Taiwan should make better use of commercial sales (DCS) to acquire equipment faster. Philip Yu, Senior Director of Global Business at IMSAR and a retired US Navy Rear Admiral, noted that Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is crucial for Taiwan's defense. The collaboration between IMSAR and Apex Flight Academy, which integrated synthetic aperture radar onto aircraft in just 12 months, provides all-weather maritime surveillance. Yu stated that defense cooperation is not just about manufacturing but also services, and that employing retired military personnel helps mitigate risks of espionage by providing career opportunities.