Taiwan Journal, The 2005 Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition was held Aug. 11-14 at the Taipei World Trade Center, with 59 domestic and 21 foreign companies displaying their wares and services at 400 booths, an increase of 23 percent from 2003. This eighth biennial show was attended by nearly 40,000 visitors, including representatives of Taiwan's and other countries' defense establishments, security-related organizations, airlines, transport ministries, civil aviation authorities, maintenance and engineering companies, and research and training institutes.
Domestic companies included the government-run Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC), Eagle Engineering Aerospace Taiwan, Nan Hoang Traffic Instruments and National Aerospace Fastener Corp. Of the eight participating foreign countries, the United States had the largest number of exhibitors, including Bell Helicopter, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon. France's Dassault and companies from Canada, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand also took part.
Items displayed by AIDC included aircraft-related diagnostic and inspection devices for detecting aero-system flaws, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) control systems and a flight simulator for its Indigenous Defense Fighter. AIDC signed a letter of intent to cooperate in developing UAVs with Taiwan's Space-Tec Co. Ltd. and Pegasus Co.
UAVs can be used in military surveillance and attack operations as well as in civilian missions such as rescue and anti-crime operations, land-development planning, environmental information gathering and typhoon-monitoring.
According to the AIDC, its UAV production is currently focused on the domestic market, with plans for expansion into international markets on the drawing board. It is estimated that the global market for UAVs will amount to more than US$16 billion over the next 10 years, with the market in Taiwan worth around US$600 million.
The 58 other domestic companies displayed products such as navigation systems and avionics, aircraft body and engine parts and interior fittings. Some advertised their maintenance services. In recent years, foreign aircraft manufacturers have increased their purchases of components from Asian countries to reduce costs.
Raytheon, maker of the Patriot PAC-III anti-missile and phased-array radar systems that the United States has agreed to sell Taiwan, displayed its lightweight air-dropped MK 54 anti-submarine torpedo and ship-based SeaRAM missile defense system. Lockheed Martin showcased its mobile, lightweight Hellfire Missile ground launch system. The Hellfire is a laser-guided missile for use on helicopters, light vehicles or patrol boats.
Seminars featuring the latest developments in commercial aviation and the defense industry were also held. Topics included ultra-light aircraft and UAV technologies, business opportunities in manufacturing aircraft interior fittings, cooperative manufacturing arrangements, and so-called C4ISR–command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.
The ROC Ministry of National Defense (MND) pavilion provided information on business opportunities for research and development, manufacturing, repair and maintenance of military equipment. These include 2,054 items relating to aircraft, surface vehicles, ships and weapons worth an estimated US$570 million. By the end of the show, about 200 local and foreign companies had registered their interest with MND.
The MND pavilion also served a public-relations purpose, with the aim of educating the public about Taiwan's security needs. Among other things, it was equipped with a mock command and control center where visitors could play war games pitting weapons the MND plans to procure from the United States against those of China in simulated war scenarios.
Besides Raytheon's PAC-III, the MND's proposed procurement package includes P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft made by General Dynamics and diesel-electric submarines to be built by a yet-to-be-decided contractor.
For the past two years, the Chen Shui-bian administration's arms procurement bill has been boycotted by opposition legislators. Collectively commanding a majority of seats in the Legislature and its various committees, they have used the Procedures Committee to block debate on the procurement bill despite the fact, say critics, that the committee has no right to pass judgment on the contents of any bill.
Opposition politicians variously claim that the proposed arms purchases are too expensive, unnecessary or detrimental to promoting friendly relations with China, whose rapid military buildup, defense analysts claim, is focused on preparations to attack Taiwan.
The opposition parties are coming under increasing pressure not only domestically but also from the U.S. Congress and Department of Defense to approve the purchase of weapons critical to Taiwan's defense.
According to Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) data, Taiwan's aviation industry in 2004 included over 200 companies with a total production value of a little over US$1 billion, representing an increase of about 13 percent over the previous year.
The 2005 exhibition was jointly organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council and Singapore-based Reed Exhibitions Pte. Ltd. in coordination with the MOEA Committee for Aviation and Space Industry Development, Taiwan Aerospace Industry Association and Chinese-language Defence International magazine.
