US-based underwater technology company Vatn Systems has signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan's National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology to explore joint naval defence projects.
The agreement aims to support Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence in modernising its naval forces and expanding local sustainment capabilities.
Under the framework, the two parties will collaborate on artificial intelligence-enabled command-and-control systems and autonomous underwater vehicles. The initiative also includes plans to establish supply-chain and sustainment support operations in Taiwan.
Vatn Systems Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Nelson Mills said the company welcomed NCSIST's interest in undersea autonomy and its potential applications in Taiwan's defence strategy. He added that developing lower-cost autonomous underwater capabilities and deploying them at scale remained central to the company's strategy.
The agreement comes amid growing interest in modular autonomous underwater systems that can be configured for different range, accuracy and sensor requirements. Vatn recently launched an autonomous mine countermeasure system based on an existing underwater platform.
NCSIST serves as an administrative agency for Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence and oversees the development, production, support and sustainment of weapons systems and dual-use technologies.