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Aug 19, 13:39
Taiwan seeks shift from drone supplier to strategic partner in entering US market
Industry figures and analysts from Taiwan and the United States gathered on August 19 at an international unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) forum to discuss how Taiwan can move beyond its traditional role as a components supplier and become a strategic partner in the global drone supply chain. The discussion takes place at a time when drones have become the frontier of warfare, and countries such as the US are looking to build non-China drone supply chains.

The expansion of Mitsubishi Electric's satellite manufacturing business is converging with the higher launch cadence targeted for Japan's H3 program, developed jointly by JAXA and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).

As SpaceX accelerates its push into space-based AI data centers and Nvidia brings Jetson GPUs into lunar exploration missions, the race to build computing infrastructure beyond Earth is moving from proof-of-concept experiments toward actual deployment.

Washington has spent years tightening controls on Chinese technology across strategically important supply chains. That playbook is now expanding into drones, where the Trump administration's latest tariffs seek not only to restrict Chinese market access but to reshape the economics of the broader unmanned-aircraft supply chain.

US President Donald Trump has moved to impose tariffs of up to 100% on drone systems and components deemed strategically sensitive. The step follows moves by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to tighten market access for foreign-made drones, including a July proposal to restrict the continued import and marketing of certain previously authorized foreign-produced drones and critical components.

Twoway Communications said its July 2026 consolidated revenue was NT$139 million (US$4.3 million), down 0.4% from a year earlier. For January to July 2026, consolidated revenue reached NT$1.1 billion, up 35.0% from the same period in 2025.

Taiwan's government approved a four-year ocean technology and industry development program for 2027-2030 and will seek more than NT$8 billion in funding. The plan was designed to strengthen maritime security, expand scientific research, and improve industrial competitiveness as Taipei responds to growing pressure in its surrounding waters.
Vietnamese aerospace startup VinSpace has signed a contract with SpaceX to launch its first satellites in 2027. Bloomberg reported that the payloads will fly on a SpaceX Transporter mission, a rideshare service that carries multiple customers on a single launch.
International tungsten prices have risen 666% year-on-year amid China's export controls, while the US Department of Commerce recently announced restrictions on exports of tungsten scrap and battery black mass. Tungsten is used across a broad range of strategic industries, including semiconductors, aerospace and defense.
Taiwanese aerospace manufacturer Aerospace Industrial Development (AIDC) stated that its AIxVNAV vision-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation and positioning system has passed another test through a competition, following a successful live flight demonstration in May. AIDC, together with partner US spatial intelligence company Vantor Holdings, completed a 2-kilometer autonomous flight mission under GPS-denied test conditions at Taiwan's recent 2026 Presidential Cup Drone Competition.

Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, defense awareness is rising rapidly worldwide, with drone and counter-drone technologies becoming key areas of development for governments and defense industries. Taiwan is also continuing to upgrade technologies for radar detection, missile defense, and other military systems.

DIGITIMES expects SpaceX to further accelerate Starlink satellite deployments in 2027, expanding network capacity and supporting faster rollout of its direct-to-cell (D2C) services.