Maxar and AIDC Advance Taiwan UAV Sector with GPS-Jamming Resilience Software
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles, CA (SPX) September 22, 2025
In an exciting development for Taiwan’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sector, Maxar Intelligence has teamed up with the Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) to enhance the resilience of drone operations against GPS jamming. This partnership signifies a pivotal step towards boosting the reliability and operational capabilities of autonomous systems in challenging environments.
Raptor Software: A Technological Leap
At the heart of this collaboration is Maxar’s Raptor vision-based navigation software. Designed to operate in conditions where GPS and GNSS signals are compromised, Raptor allows drones to navigate and pinpoint ground coordinates using solely onboard cameras combined with Maxar’s comprehensive 3D terrain data. This breakthrough capability eliminates dependence on satellite signals, ensuring that drones can maintain precise navigation even in GPS-denied situations.
Earlier this year, the effectiveness of Raptor was confirmed during a successful field test in Taiwan. The demonstration showcased the software’s ability to sustain accurate navigation despite the absence of GPS, a crucial capability for modern UAV applications.
Taiwan’s Ambitious UAV Industry
“Taiwan is rapidly building one of the most advanced UAV industries in the world, and AIDC is one of the companies leading the charge,” said Anders Linder, General Manager of International Government at Maxar Intelligence. Taiwanese manufacturers are increasingly aware of the vulnerabilities associated with GPS jamming and the necessity for resilience in their UAV technologies. By leveraging Maxar’s geospatial intelligence alongside AIDC’s aerospace expertise, this partnership is poised to accelerate advancements in UAV autonomy across multiple domains, including military operations, humanitarian missions, and commercial ventures.
Expanding the Supply Chain
AIDC is set to take the lead on integrating the Raptor software across Taiwan’s UAV supply chain. This integration will be promoted through the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunity Alliance (TEDIBOA), an initiative chaired by AIDC. The collaboration aims to underscore GPS-jamming resilience as a distinguishing feature of Taiwan’s UAV offerings, paving the way for broader market opportunities across Asia.
A New Era of Precision Navigation
“This collaboration opens a new chapter for precision vision-based positioning in Taiwan’s UAV sector,” stated AIDC President Chin-Ping Tsao. The partnership aims to establish a Taiwan-focused integration and testing center. The core objective will be to highlight the significance of GPS-jamming resilience while advancing both defense capabilities and commercial value for UAV technologies.
Lightweight and Hardware-Agnostic
One of the outstanding features of the Raptor software is its lightweight and hardware-agnostic design, which allows for straightforward integration with various autonomous platforms. Utilizing over 100 million square kilometers of Maxar’s global 3D terrain data, Raptor ensures real-time positioning capabilities in a variety of challenging conditions, including low-altitude, nighttime, and GPS-denied missions. Notably, this functionality can be achieved without requiring additional equipment, making it highly adaptable for diverse operational needs.