The Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET) was invited to participate in a panel hosted by the defense technology start-up Exia Lab on January 23rd on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. The panel, “America’s Strategic Edge: Working with Taiwan and allies to counter PRC aggression”, brought together participants from within and outside the U.S. Congress to discuss the current state of U.S.-Taiwan defense cooperation and the challenges it faces.
Panelists included Ms. Fanny Chao, Non-Resident Fellow of the National Security Program at DSET; RADM. Philip Yu, Rear, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (ret) in the U.S. Navy; and Dr. Michael Hunzeker, Director at Taiwan Security Monitor in George Mason University.
Ms. Chao pointed out that in the context of the U.S.-Taiwan cooperation on uncrewed systems, the high attrition rates seen on the Ukrainian battlefield underscore the importance of building a Taiwanese industrial base capable of sustaining the resupplying of uncrewed systems during conflict. For Taiwan’s uncrewed sector, not only U.S. companies are key supply chain partners in joint development, and cooperation, the U.S. market is also critical in stabilizing and supporting the long-term development of Taiwan’s uncrewed sector.
Ms. Chao observed that a number of spontaneous cooperation cases have already emerged between U.S. and Taiwanese companies, demonstrating that both sides possess a foundation and momentum for deeper collaboration. In addition, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Fiscal Year 2026, passed by the U.S. Congress last month, incorporates provisions on the U.S.-Taiwan collaboration in uncrewed systems and counter-uncrewed systems. This helps to shift cooperation from a more ad hoc model toward a more institutionalized and sustained framework.
Looking ahead, Ms. Chao identified three factors that could further deepen bilateral collaboration. First, the collaboration blueprint outlined in the NDAA FY2026 is expected to be detailed at the implementation level. Second, the strengthening of institutionalized cooperation mechanisms is likely to support the durability of collaboration. Finally, the policy predictability will serve as an important foundation for sustaining long-term cooperation and industrial investment.
