AeroVironment, Inc. announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Ubiqconn Technology Inc., a Taiwan-based rugged controller and industrial computing solutions provider, to advance collaboration on unmanned systems and mission management capabilities in support of Taiwan’s defence modernization and indigenous unmanned aircraft systems initiatives.
The MOU establishes the shared intent of AV and Ubiqconn to collaborate on the development and integration of a common controller capability based on AV’s Tomahawk Common Control Ecosystem to support Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) requirements, including its indigenous UAS program targeting the procurement of tens of thousands of domestically produced drones.
“Today’s signing is about building a bridge to a deeper, more strategic partnership with Taiwan,”
said Wahid Nawabi, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer at AV.
“By combining AV’s battle-proven mission software with Ubiqconn’s advanced rugged controller technology and Taiwan’s growing industrial base, we’re laying the groundwork for integrated, networked unmanned solutions tailored to Taiwan’s defence and security needs.”
As part of the collaboration, AV will install and configure its Kinesis mission management software, part of the company’s AV_Halo COMMAND command-and-control (C2) software suite, onto Ubiqconn’s rugged controller platform, enabling operators in Taiwan to control multiple types of unmanned aircraft systems, from various original equipment manufacturers, through a common, scalable interface.
AV will provide a fully-integrated common controller system with access to Kinesis software and its KxM module, along with training and technical support to enable Ubiqconn to conduct demonstrations and facilitate future ad‑hoc integration activities.
“Taiwan’s defence and homeland security modernization requires a new standard of interoperability, and this collaboration with AV is a meaningful step toward achieving it,”
said Paul Hsieh, CEO of Ubiqconn.
“By integrating Kinesis software onto our rugged controller platforms, Ubiqconn is proud to serve as the hardware backbone of a common controller ecosystem that will support Taiwan’s indigenous defense capabilities and strengthen our nation’s resilience sustainability.”
Under the MOU and future agreements contemplated by the MOU, Ubiqconn will provide physical UAS controller hardware to support Kinesis integration, configuration, and functional testing, and will share technical input on UAS platforms most commonly operated within Taiwan’s defence and security community to inform controller compatibility priorities.
Ubiqconn Technology designs rugged unmanned vehicle control systems tailored for government and mission-specific deployments. Photo: Ubiqconn
Ubiqconn will lead in‑market demonstrations and outreach to Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence and other government stakeholders to help shape emerging common controller requirements and will engage domestic drone Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to expand the Kinesis compatibility database to include locally produced UAS.
“In light of the Ministry of National Defence’s intent to procure tens of thousands of indigenous drones, a common controller ecosystem is essential to reduce training burden, simplify sustainment, and ensure that Taiwan’s growing drone fleet remains interoperable and combat-ready across all services,”
said Justin McFarlin, Vice President of International Business Development for AV.
“At the same time, this collaboration expands AV’s ability to deliver scalable, interoperable solutions that are specifically tailored to Taiwan’s defence needs and produced in partnership with its industrial base.”
In September 2025, AV announced a strategic collaboration with Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST) to strengthen Taiwan’s unmanned and precision-strike ecosystem by providing JUMP 20/20-X expertise, sustainment, training, and future co-development of autonomous systems to enhance readiness, resilience, and indigenous defence capability.
Source: AeroVironment, Inc.