By: Wendell Minnick
TAIPEI - The Kaohsiung International Maritime and Defense Industry Expo held last week in southern Taiwan could be considered a public relations disaster. But despite being pancaked between two typhoons -- forcing a delay of one day that pushed it into the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival -- and ending with numerous exhibitors, visitors, and guests failing to show up, the expo still managed to stand up despite a second typhoon slamming into the island, further reaping chaos and destruction.
The first maritime expo of its kind was a serious effort, despite the disarray, of introducing the international defense industry to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capabilities and programs. Exhibitions were broken down into amphibious task force equipment, combat systems, communications, construction, platform equipment, propellers, radar, shafting, ship design, telemetry and underwater operations.
Local entities and companies included Ching Fu Shipbuilding, Coast Guard Administration, Hung Hua Construction, Jong Shyn Shipbuilding, Ministry of National Defense (MND), MND Armaments Bureau, MND Material Production Center, National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology, National Defense University, and the Taiwan Navy. International participants included DCNS, Harris, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Thales.
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