Taiwan's state-run shipbuilder CSBC Corporation has struck a partnership with US autonomous systems company Havoc to build and maintain autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) on Taiwanese soil, a deal announced September 10 US Eastern Time at a signing event in Rhode Island. The agreement marks one of the most concrete steps yet toward giving Taiwan its own domestic capacity to produce unmanned warships, pairing CSBC's shipyards with Havoc's "Collaborative Autonomy" software platform.
A Local Production Line For Autonomous Warships
Under the agreement, Havoc will supply the autonomous technology while CSBC contributes its shipbuilding, production and long-term maintenance capabilities, the companies said. The goal is to manufacture and service ASV platforms directly in Taiwan rather than importing finished systems, and over time to draw more of Taiwan's domestic supply chain into building the vessels.
CSBC chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said the company has long worked to strengthen Taiwan's independent shipbuilding and maritime defense capacity, and that combining CSBC's production and lifecycle support with Havoc's autonomous technology would also reinforce Taiwan's local supply chain and defense industrial base for the long run.
Aligning With Washington's Defense Priorities
Havoc co-founder and chief executive Paul Lwin said the US Congress had written language supporting co-production with Taiwan, including unmanned systems specifically, into its fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and that the new partnership fits squarely within that direction. Lwin described the model as combining American autonomous technology, Taiwan-made vessel platforms and Taiwan's industrial workforce into a partnership built to last.
CSBC said the deal responds directly to Section 1266 of the FY2026 NDAA, which addresses joint US-Taiwan production of unmanned systems, as well as Taiwan's own push for defense self-reliance and domestic manufacturing of unmanned platforms. Both companies said they hope the arrangement can scale over time, using Taiwan's industrial base alongside American autonomous technology to expand production and deployment of self-piloted maritime systems.
What Havoc Brings To The Table
Havoc specializes in autonomy technology that spans multiple domains, built around what it calls a software-defined hardware architecture. The system is designed to let different unmanned platforms across sea, air and land share information, adjust in real time and coordinate missions together, and to keep functioning even when communications are jammed or cut off, with the aim of improving mission performance while reducing risk to personnel.
