Taiwan unveils first missile jointly developed with American arms company

A low-cost autonomous cruise missile is displayed during the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition in Taipei on September 17, 2025. I-Hwa Cheng/AFP/Getty Images Taipei, Taiwan —

Taiwan has unveiled a prototype cruise missile, developed jointly with a US arms maker and set to be manufactured on the island, as it tries to build up its weapons industry to deter any possible military threats from China.

The government-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan’s top arms manufacturer, showcased the “low-cost autonomous cruise missile” it developed together with Anduril Industries, a relative newcomer to the ranks of American defense contractors, ahead of the island’s largest defense expo that began Thursday.

China views Taiwan as its own