2025/09/18
Ministry of National Defense: Minister of National Defense Li-Hsiung Koo Visited the “Taipei International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition” Today (September 18) to Commend Participating Personnel and Encourage Continued Efforts in Building Defense Self-Reliance, Innovation, and Resilience
Ministry of National Defense Press Release
Time: 1900 hours, September 18, 2025
Minister of National Defense Li-Hsiung Koo visited the “Taipei International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition” today (September 18) to commend the hard work of participating personnel and express expectations for continued efforts in building defense self-reliance, pursuing innovation, and strengthening defense resilience.
In the morning, Minister Koo visited the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center to attend the opening press conference of the aerospace exhibition, followed by a tour with distinguished guests to the Taiwan Space Pavilion, U.S. Pavilion, Defense Pavilion, Asia Drone AI Innovation and Application R&D Center, Aerospace Industry Association Pavilion, and National Defense Industry Development Association Pavilion.
During the visit, Minister Koo listened to briefings and equipment introductions at each pavilion and engaged in discussions with personnel responsible for defense research and development to gain a deeper understanding of current progress. Minister Koo also expressed his hope that the researchers would continue to dedicate themselves to technological research and development to produce high-performance weaponry and equipment to meet the needs of military buildup and readiness.
In a media interview, Minister Koo stated that “resilience, self-reliance, and innovation” are key directions for defense development. To achieve resilience, it is essential to establish Taiwan’s self-reliant defense capabilities; meanwhile , continue the pursuit of innovation.
Minister Koo noted that Taiwan-U.S. military exchanges have always been frequent, with both sides sharing a strong consensus on enhancing defense self-reliance and operational resilience. In the future, both parties will continue to explore technical cooperation and local production, promoting more concrete collaboration.
Regarding the Ministry of National Defense’s plans for utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) in the future, Minister Koo emphasized that AI will play a critical role in supporting defense decision-making systems. The Ministry of National Defense will accelerate the development and integration of AI, which can effectively enhance the ROC Armed Forces’ capabilities in areas such as the “sensor-to-shooter” command and control system and intelligence integration systems.
As for the formulation of special budget for drone procurement, Minister Koo stated that the special budget statute is still under review by the Executive Yuan, and the Ministry of National Defense will propose relevant items after the statute is passed. The overall program is still under the planning stage.