Taiwan's state-linked shipbuilder is teaming up with an American autonomy company to build unmanned sea drones locally — good news for Taiwan's defense industry and its push to rely less on foreign weapons.

• CSBC will build and maintain autonomous surface vessels in Taiwan using US firm Havoc's self-driving technology.
• The deal leans on a provision in the US 2026 defense bill that backs joint US-Taiwan production of unmanned systems.
• Taiwan gets local jobs, a domestic supply chain, and long-term repair capability instead of just buying finished hardware.
• Sea drones are cheap and expendable — exactly the kind of weapon Taiwan wants against a much larger Chinese navy.

Outlook: Expect more US-Taiwan co-production deals in drones and unmanned systems as the defense bill's provisions take effect.