NCSIST Signs MOU with US Firm to Strengthen Key USV Technologies

Central News Agency

(CNA, Reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, 24th) The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) announced today that to strengthen the research and development momentum and resilience of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US company SARONIC. The partnership focuses on key technologies such as AI target identification and tracking, autonomous interception, protective barrier deployment, multi-vessel collaboration, surface obstacle avoidance, kinetic interception, and autonomous tactical decision-making, aiming to enhance the military's maritime asymmetric warfare capabilities.

A press release from NCSIST noted that SARONIC is currently the only USV manufacturer certified by the US military. The signing ceremony was jointly conducted by NCSIST President Lee Shih-chiang and SARONIC CEO Kostadino George Mavrookas. They extensively shared research and development experiences in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI) command and control software, vessel design and system integration, as well as autonomous surface vehicle and supply chain development, exploring local R&D and lifecycle maintenance to ensure long-term, highly effective cooperation.

NCSIST pointed out that the collaboration primarily aims to expand the application scenarios for unmanned surface vehicles, endowing them with autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, and intelligent decision-making capabilities. In peacetime, they can support duties such as maritime patrol, anti-smuggling, protection, guarding, expulsion, and rescue, thereby increasing long-term efficiency and reducing manpower burdens. In wartime, they can achieve a rapid transition from peace to war to consolidate maritime security.

NCSIST stated that last year it completed several sea trials for the Kuai-Chi unmanned boat, verifying its stable navigation capability in complex sea conditions and its air-sea joint operational concept. This year, in response to the development trend of "software-defined hardware" in unmanned vehicles, NCSIST is introducing SARONIC's capabilities in autonomous navigation and edge computing to jointly develop a "modular, LEGO-like" unmanned boat platform. This will significantly reduce manufacturing costs, allow for rapid parts replacement, and enable remote upgrades for diverse functions, ensuring AI decision-making mission execution. In the future, this initiative will further drive domestic hull manufacturing, electronics, and software industries into the global defense supply chain, ushering in a new era of scientific research cooperation. (Editor: Wan Shu-chang) 1150424