As defense technology and unmanned vehicles increasingly extend beyond traditional defense industries into the ICT and semiconductor sectors, Taiwan's manufacturers are being urged to go beyond the role of component suppliers and strengthen their system integration (SI) capabilities. That was the message from Lo Cheng-fang, honorary chairman of the Asia UAV Additive Manufacturing Industry Association, at a forum on October 6.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans for the creation of a combatant command focused on autonomous warfare and drones. Its planned establishment indicates the turn within the US military toward low-cost and AI-powered systems, which have been pushed to the frontier of defense strategies following ongoing wars in Ukraine and Iran.

SK Hynix's dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and Universal Flash Storage (UFS) products have reached orbit aboard a South Korean satellite that successfully established communication with the ground following the country's fifth Nuri rocket launch. The mission opens the way for in-orbit reliability testing as the memory maker explores potential opportunities in the space electronics market. No in-orbit test results for SK Hynix's memory products have been announced.

China's state-backed Guowang (GW) low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellite network has completed its first communications test during the country's 16th Arctic expedition, enabling a live video call linking vessels in the Arctic with Qinling Station in Antarctica with reported latency under one second.

LG Group is preparing to test five commercial components developed by LG Electronics, LG Innotek, and LG Energy Solution (LGES), including cameras and batteries, aboard a CubeSat carried as a secondary payload on South Korea's fifth Nuri rocket launch. The mission aims to assess whether commercially available components can operate reliably in space.

Elon Musk has moved to quell uncertainty over Intel's position in the Terafab chip project, stressing that his companies will build and operate the planned semiconductor complex themselves while limiting any potential TSMC involvement to subleasing part of the site.

As countries move to build more resilient and self-reliant defense industries, they are also accelerating international supply chain cooperation. Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) chairman James Huang said the key in the future will not only be to develop good products, but also to understand international certifications, regulations, and procurement rules, so that Taiwan can turn its technological and manufacturing advantages into competitiveness in international markets and become a trusted and indispensable defense partner worldwide.

Anduril Industries said it will spend US$3.7 billion to build Arsenal-2, a next-generation software-defined shipyard at Sparrows Point in Baltimore County, Maryland. The US Navy is backing the project with a contract worth up to US$2.9 billion tied to production results, bringing the total commitment to US$6.6 billion as Washington seeks to expand the submarine industrial base.

Discovery Channel's new documentary Engineering Pioneers: Guardians of Flight takes viewers inside China Airlines' maintenance system, showcasing aircraft hangars, engine shops and training centers that the public rarely sees. It follows a Boeing 747 freighter through a weeks-long C Check overhaul and also covers line maintenance performed between flights, non-destructive testing of engine components, landing gear replacement, emergency release tests and mixed reality (MR) training for new maintenance staff.

SpaceX launched its Starship super heavy-lift rocket on September 28, successfully reaching orbit for the first time and deploying 26 Starlink V3 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Each Starship mission can carry up to approximately 60 Starlink V3 satellites. Although neither stage was recovered, both splashed down at sea and the satellite deployment was successful.

SpaceX's Starship reached Earth orbit for the first time on its 14th test flight and deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites. Whereas the previous 13 flights primarily focused on orbital testing, Flight 14 marked a further step into operational orbital missions.