Taiwanese drone manufacturer Thunder Tiger demonstrated an uncrewed surface vessel (USV) equipped with mission autonomy software in collaboration with US-based defense technology startup Shield AI at Dapeng Bay, Taiwan, on July 29. While Taiwanese companies are actively pushing for greater autonomy in unmanned vehicle technologies, unclear policy direction at this stage has added to industry uncertainty.
Shield AI and Thunder Tiger Group completed their first autonomous maritime unmanned vehicle swarm demonstration in Taiwan, combining Shield AI's Hivemind AI system with Thunder Tiger's SeaShark unmanned surface vehicles. The test, conducted in Pingtung, showed multiple boats carrying out coordinated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions without direct human control.
Coretronic said its robotics subsidiary, Coretronic Intelligent Robotics (CIRC), is focusing on four development priorities as a large domestic government drone procurement plan remains unapproved, leaving suppliers facing a demand gap. The company said the strategy is designed to reduce the impact of uncertainty over the government buying schedule on its drone business.
According to NASA, two of the three reaction wheels that control the spacecraft's alignment have failed, and there are problems with one of the spacecraft's thruster systems.
Boeing is moving closer to final safety certification for the 737 MAX 10, with the Federal Aviation Administration targeting September or October should the review stay on track. The approval would clear a long-delayed hurdle for the largest member of the 737 MAX family and could help Boeing improve its cash flow as it competes with Airbus in the single-aisle jet market.
Shield AI and GE Aerospace said on July 20 that they had completed integration, actuation and engine ignition testing for the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) on the X-BAT vertical takeoff and landing unmanned combat aircraft. The milestone brings the AI-enabled, runway-independent fighter closer to a first flight later in 2026.
The Russia-Ukraine war has fundamentally reshaped the nature of modern asymmetric warfare. Unmanned systems have evolved from auxiliary equipment into core combat assets capable of conducting reconnaissance, precision strikes, attrition and sustained operations.
Idaho-based Titan Batteries has emerged as a key supplier in the US Drone Dominance Program (DDP), providing customized battery solutions for military drones as the Pentagon accelerates efforts to build a secure and resilient domestic supply chain. The company's focus on localized manufacturing, cybersecurity, and end-to-end traceability aligns with the US Department of Defense's (DoD) drive to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers for critical defense technologies.
p class="P1" data-sourcepos="5:1-5:480;131-610"Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has spent nearly a decade pushing AI adoption, moving from smart manufacturing in 2015 to full-scale generative AI deployment in 2024, and turning years of production experience into digital corporate assets. Information chief I-ting Fang said the company now hopes to transform its AI and smart manufacturing expertise into a business model that can help more suppliers and manufacturers accelerate AI transformation.
Russia has equipped low-cost Molniya attack drones with a civilian compass and camera-based reading system to keep them on course when satellite navigation is jammed or unavailable, according to a Ukrainian defense adviser. The modification underscores how electronic warfare continues to shape the Russia-Ukraine battlefield and how Moscow is seeking inexpensive ways to preserve drone effectiveness.
Airbus updated its financial outlook for investors, saying easing supply-chain constraints should support stronger production and profit growth through 2029. According to Bloomberg, the European planemaker now expects adjusted annual operating profit of EUR12 billion-EUR13 billion (US$13.71 billion-US$14.84 billion) by 2029, nearly double current levels, and it plans a EUR5 billion (US$5.71 billion) share buyback over the next three years.
The company ticked off a few more boxes on the second Starship V3 flight, but appears to have had another issue relighting the booster's rocket engines.
Tsu-Jae Liu, president of the National Academy of Engineering and academician of Academia Sinica, has highlighted the increasing pressure on the integration of civilian and military research, as economic security and national security become entangled amid shifting geopolitical concerns.
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) has called on the Taiwan government to build low-altitude communications into national critical infrastructure planning as drones move toward beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and large-scale operations for defense, disaster relief, logistics, and infrastructure inspections.
The Executive Yuan's proposed special bill to fund Taiwan's indigenous defense unmanned systems program has triggered debate over whether the initiative should focus primarily on military procurement or broader industrial development. The plan would allocate NT$210 billion (about US$6.5 billion) from 2026 to 2031 to acquire coastal surveillance drones, coastal attack drones and small suicide unmanned boats, aiming to enhance the armed forces' asymmetric warfare capabilities.
p class="P1" data-sourcepos="5:1-5:513;116-628"Taiwan's Commerce Development Research Institute (CDRI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic (TCCCZ) on July 23 to jointly build a Taiwan-Central and Eastern Europe industrial cooperation platform, linking Taiwan with the Czech Republic and Central and Eastern European markets. The CDRI said the two sides will focus on areas such as drones, technology, and talent exchanges, as well as international market promotion and business matchmaking.
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