AIDC was established on 1 March 1969 as the Aero Industry Development Center of the Air Force. From 1969 to 1976 AIDC co-produced 118 UH-1H's for the Taiwanese Army with Bell Helicopters. 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. In 1998 AIDC entered into an agreement with Sikorsky Aircraft to service the S-70 helicopter. 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.
Public ownership
AIDC was privatized through a public stock offering on August 25th, 2014 with the Taiwanese Government retaining a 39% stake. 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. 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. The first domestically upgraded fighter was delivered on October 20, 2018. The project is to be completed by 2023. 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, AIDC hired 200 additional employees in Taichung to bring production back to schedule. In 2018 AIDC signed an agreement with GE for the production of 17 parts for the LEAP engine including hot section components. 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. In October 2019 Boeing cut orders to AIDC which were associated with the troubled 737 MAX program as monthly production figures were decreased. In 2019 AIDC was reported to have 2,137 employees involved in confidential projects.
Facilities and equipment
In 2016 AIDC completed a NTD 1.5b composite materials manufacturing plant in Taichung. The facility, called the Taiwan Advanced Composite Center, has 5,500 square meters of floorspace and primarily produces components for the Airbus A320. AIDC operates one Astra SPX aircraft as a target tug.
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.
Products
Aircraft
AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter - began as XF-6 indigenous fighter project
