TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s newly established Defense Innovation Task Force has been making headway in advanced military technologies, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a recent report.

The task force was formed in February to respond to the evolving modern battlefield and develop deterrent capabilities, MND said. It was modeled after the US Defense Innovation Unit.

The Defense Innovation Task Force aims to stay updated on the latest technological developments, develop combat concepts, and identify joint operations requirements, Liberty Times reported. Project proposals that meet defense needs will be incorporated into the military's acquisition planning process.

Currently, the task force is developing underwater unmanned vehicles and other UAV-related systems. It also focuses on areas such as AI-assisted target recognition, autonomous navigation, cybersecurity, and communications.

The MND is coordinating with the National Science and Technology Council and other government agencies to establish an interagency platform. The platform aims to integrate military defense needs with civilian industrial capabilities. 

The ministry plans to send a five-member delegation to the US next year to establish communication channels with defense research institutions. The group will travel to the US for a nine-day visit next May, stopping at the Pentagon’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering and the Office of Net Assessment, among other relevant agencies and private defense technology firms. 

The delegation will also meet with US Defense Innovation Unit representatives.