Shield AI has entered into a teaming agreement with Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. to expand the island’s ability to field, support and scale advanced autonomous systems.
The partnership covers sustainment, training and autonomy integration, with Shield AI describing the move as a step toward strengthening Taiwan’s sovereign defense and aerospace base.
“As the largest and most capable defense prime in Taiwan, our work with AIDC is really about accelerating Taiwan’s local drone and aerospace industry as they ramp up next-generation deterrence capabilities now and for the next two decades,” said Brandon Tseng, president and co-founder of ShieldAI.
The San Diego company is best known for its V-BAT vertical takeoff and landing drone, used by U.S. and allied forces for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. AIDC said combining the technology with its aerospace manufacturing expertise would help reinforce Taiwan’s deterrence posture.
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The collaboration comes amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait and growing U.S. calls to strengthen Taipei’s defenses. In April, John Noh, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs, told lawmakers that bolstering Taiwan’s military capabilities is critical to restoring U.S. deterrence in the region.
Shield AI has been widening its Indo-Pacific presence through acquisitions and partnerships, including supplying Japan’s maritime surveillance needs, teaming with India’s JSW Defence on V-BAT production and acquiring Australia’s Sentient Vision Systems to enhance AI-enabled imagery capabilities.