AVEXE held a press conference today to explain its products. The picture shows AEVEX Senior Vice President of Growth Strategy Craig Anders (left), AEVEX Chief Growth Officer Murali Krishnan (middle), and Chairman of China Optoelectronics Intelligent Robotics Wu Xiuhui (right). (Photo by reporter Wu Zheyu)
[Reporter Wu Zheyu/Taipei Report] AEVEX Aerospaces, an American company known for its actual achievements in the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield, came to Taiwan to hold a press conference today and stated that it would actively enter the Taiwan market. AEVEX also emphasized that some foreign companies claim to be deeply involved in Taiwan, but in fact they only sell products to Taiwan. AEVEX will introduce technology to Taiwan and work with partners to equip Taiwan with corresponding combat capabilities.
In addition to displaying the VANDAL and Onyx drones developed in cooperation with China Optoelectronics Intelligent Robotics (CiRC), the conference also pointed out that it has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences to further explore the Taiwan market.
The characteristic of AEVEX is that most of its products have been used by the US military and have been put into actual combat. For example, the Black Sea unmanned boat company recently acquired by AEVEX has 350 unmanned boats that have carried out various tasks including anti-mines in the Strait of Hormuz, and have completed 25,000 hours of combat.
AEVEX further revealed that the company's Lynx unmanned boat has been actually deployed in Taiwan this year. The US government has transported the ship to Taiwan for training and has handed the ship over to the Marine Corps to continue training missions. AEVEX stated that their goal is to cooperate with the Chinese military to ensure that the ships adopt the latest and most advanced technology so that Taiwan has the equipment needed for combat.
In terms of cross-domain collaboration of unmanned vehicles, AEVEX also specially introduced the COMPASS-X autonomous system. AEVEX pointed out that COMPASS-X can coordinate different fields and platforms such as air, surface and underwater, and can be configured according to mission requirements, allowing different carriers to collaborate across fields.
It is worth mentioning that for the "Phoenix Phantom" drones that are assisting Ukraine, AEVEX stated that by the end of this year, it will have delivered a total of nearly 10,000 drones to Ukraine, and has gained fruitful practical results and R&D and manufacturing experience, which has also given them important inspiration in updating and iterating equipment.
Regarding its contact with the Ministry of National Defense, AEVEX pointed out that the company has had "very extensive dialogue" with all levels of the Ministry of National Defense of my country. AEVEX also has a dedicated person responsible for Asian affairs full-time. He has stayed in Taiwan for a long time and met with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force. Therefore, there are opportunities for further cooperation in various fields.
In addition to the vehicle itself, AEVEX also regards logistics as an important advantage in entering the Taiwan market. AEVEX stated that the company's systems have been put into use in the United States. If drones and unmanned boats have established a mature logistics supply chain, including future repairs, maintenance and other work, they can use the existing system to quickly provide the capabilities Taiwan needs, without having to build a complete logistics and maintenance system for unmanned systems from scratch.
As the Chinese military gradually develops its own unmanned vehicle combat concept (CONOPS), AEVEX believes that some of the company's long-range systems and tactical systems such as Atlas will have the opportunity to become a part of Taiwan's unmanned combat architecture in the future.
AEVEX also said that although the company has less exposure in Taiwan than foreign companies, it is not worried about falling behind in entering the market because the most important thing is to find good partners, strong partners, and bring relevant capabilities to Taiwan. AEVEX has currently established a cooperative relationship with China Optoelectronics Intelligent Robotics (CIRC), hoping to introduce practical experience and unmanned system capabilities to Taiwan through local partners.
