Taiwan drone firm AerosoarX signs deal to help Ukrainian defence company UFORCE source parts

Taiwanese drone company AerosoarX has signed a memorandum of understanding with UFORCE, a Ukrainian defence technology company, to help it find alternative sources of parts for uncrewed vehicles in Taiwan. The two firms signed the agreement in Tainan on Wednesday, 4 November, according to SETN and Next Apple News.

Under the agreement, AerosoarX will draw on Taiwan's semiconductor, electronic component, communications and precision manufacturing industries to locate and assess replacement suppliers, with the aim of making UFORCE's supply chain more flexible. Both reports said the deal responds to the difficulty drone makers face in obtaining key components, the concentration of supply in a few sources, and uncertain delivery times.

Who the partners are

UFORCE works on uncrewed platforms for sea, land and air, together with artificial intelligence software and command and control systems. AerosoarX was founded by Max Lo, who chairs the company and is known in Taiwan's media as the captain of the island's national drone team, a reference to his role in the local drone industry.

The company had said before the signing that the agreement would be concluded at the Taiwan Marine Tech and Unmanned Robotics Expo, and that it builds on memorandums it recently signed with two American technology companies, Rajant, which makes resilient communications for drones and autonomous systems, and SiMa.ai, which works on physical artificial intelligence, Taiwan News reported.

Lessons from the front line

Sean Plankey, who represented UFORCE at the signing, said one of the main lessons of the war in Ukraine was that front-line needs change very quickly, and that what matters most is not expensive equipment but the ability to respond fast and move into mass production. He said Taiwan's complete technology manufacturing chain made it an important partner, according to Next Apple News.

Lo said the battlefield experience UFORCE has built up in Ukraine, and its push into global markets, held useful lessons for Taiwan. He said Taiwan's security challenges were becoming more serious and time was limited, and that by learning from the front line and helping democratic partners build up mass production through technology, components and manufacturing, Taiwan could also strengthen its own defence capability.

Lo also said, according to SETN, that unmanned systems worldwide were being tested on the reliability of their supply, and that he hoped the partnership would carry Taiwan's strengths to the international market in support of UFORCE's needs.

Beyond drones

Lo said the cooperation would not stop at aerial drones and that work on uncrewed ships and ground vehicles would also speed up. Beyond defence use, he said uncrewed vehicles could take on disaster response and maritime rescue missions as climate-related disasters increase. He added that the framework is meant to help both sides expand into global markets and to create openings for cooperation linked to the first island chain.

The memorandum sets up a framework for cooperation rather than a supply contract, and neither report gave a value, volumes or a timetable for any parts orders. For AerosoarX, it follows the recent agreements with Rajant and SiMa.ai, and extends the company's partnerships from American technology suppliers to a firm with battlefield experience in Ukraine.