Government ownership

AIDC was established on 1 March 1969 as the Aero Industry Development Center of the Air Force.^[3] From 1969 to 1976 AIDC co-produced 118 UH-1H's for the Taiwanese Army with Bell Helicopters.^[4]

In 1983, AIDC was transferred to the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology under the Armaments Bureau. In 1996, AIDC was reorganized into a government-owned company.^[4] In 1998 AIDC entered into an agreement with Sikorsky Aircraft to service the S-70 helicopter.^[5]

In 2000, AIDC was divided into four units: the Aerostructures Division, the Engine Division, the Technology Division, and the Administration Division. In the early 2000s AIDC was contracted by Bell to produce the tailbooms for the AH-1Z and UH-1Y.^[4]

Public ownership

AIDC was privatized through a public stock offering on August 25, 2014 with the Taiwanese Government retaining a 39% stake.^[6]

In 2016 AIDC launched a project with international partner Lockheed Martin to develop an upgraded version of the F-16 called the F-16V. AIDC will share revenue from all future international sales and upgrades.^[7] Upgrades to 142 of Taiwan’s F-16A/B fighters to the F-16V standard began in 2016. The first four aircraft upgrades had been completed by December 2017 and American test pilots had arrived to begin their testing and certification.^[8] The first domestically upgraded fighter was delivered on October 20, 2018.^[9] The project is to be completed by 2023.^[10] In October 2019 it was announced that the program had been delayed by a manpower shortage at AIDC and a delay with the US based software testing program,^[11] AIDC hired 200 additional employees in Taichung to bring production back to schedule.^[12][13] By December 2020 18 upgrades had been completed.^[14]

In 2018 AIDC signed an agreement with GE for the production of 17 parts for the LEAP engine including hot section components.^[15]

In 2019 AIDC entered into 10 year agreement to supply engine parts to Industria de Turbo Propulsores of Spain, a subsidiary of Rolls-Royce plc.^[16] In October 2019 Boeing cut orders to AIDC which were associated with the troubled 737 MAX program as monthly production figures were decreased.^[17] In 2019 AIDC was reported to have 2,137 employees involved in confidential projects.^[18]

Headquarters

AIDC’s headquarters occupies a large suburban campus in the Northwest of Taichung next to Overseas Chinese University. The campus features historical aircraft, a restaurant, and a swimming pool for the more than 3,000 onsite employees.^[21]

Aircraft

• AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter - began as XF-6 indigenous fighter project
• AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle (advanced jet trainer)
• AIDC AT-3 (advanced jet trainer)
  • variant XA-3 Lei Ming (single seat attack aircraft prototype)
• AIDC T-CH-1 (Basic Trainer derived from North American T-28 Trojan)
• AIDC PL-1B (Primary Trainer and licensed version of Pazmany PL-1, a two-seat trainer from Pazmany Aircraft Corporation)
• AIDC XC-2 (Civil transport, prototype only)
• UH-1H (utility helicopter and licensed version from Bell Helicopter)
• OH-58D (Observation, attack and reconnaissance helicopter and licensed version from Bell Helicopter)
• F-5E/F Chung Cheng (license built and locally modified Northrop F-5)^[22]

Components

• Doors for all Boeing 737 aircraft since 2003^[23]
• Cockpit for Sikorsky S-92^[24]
• Rear Fuselage, Engine Pylon and the Vertical and Horizontal Stabilizer for Challenger 300/350^[25]
• Composite belly panels for the Airbus A320 and Airbus A321^[26]
• Both designed and produces five composite components for the Mitsubishi MRJ^[27]
• Honeywell/ITEC F124 produced in partnership with Honeywell.
• Cooperation on the Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 Advance 2 engine^[28]