Heritage and Development
The predecessor of this center was the “Air Force Aviation Industry Bureau” founded in Nanjing in September 1946, and was reorganized as the “Air Force Technology Bureau” in July 1954 in Taichung. In January 1969, the center was expanded into the “Air Force Aviation Industry Development Center”, which is known as the “Aviation Development Center.”
In January 1983, the “Aviation Development Center” was assigned to National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology in supporting the An-Xiang Project. Under the high vigilance and hardworking of the predecessors, the center performed the dual-track function of research and development as joint venture in production. The result included the self-developed PL-1 Jie-Shou elementary trainer, the T-CH-1 Chung-Hsing elementary trainer, the XC-2 medium transport aircraft, the AT-3 Zi-Qiang advanced trainer, the XA-3Tunderbolt attack aircrafts and IDF tactical fighter. These helped to lay down the solid foundation of the center in research, development, and manufacturing in aviation industry. The delivery of the IDF constituted the accomplishment of the mission of the time. In October 1992, the Executive Yuan agreed that to reorganize the “Aviation Development Center” as a state-owned enterprise. In July 1996, it was successfully organized as a private corporation titled “Aerospace Industry Development Corporation” (AIDC) thereby the “Aviation Development Center” became history.
Under the policy guideline of “self-determined national defense” and “make our own aircrafts”, the Air Force started to prepare for resuming a research and development unit in aviation in April 2016. With the foresight of the veteran air force officers and the expectation of the senior officials at all levels, the “Air Force Aviation Technology Research and Development Center” was officially established in January 2017 assigned with the exclusive duty of research and development, design of air defense capacity, system engineering and monitoring and control of several technology research and design projects to meet the needs of national security and safeguard the air space of the country.