The Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (中山科學研究院) is the primary research and development institution of the Republic of China Ministry of National Defense's Armaments Bureau and has been active in the development of various weapons systems and dual use technology. CSIST is also involved in developing systems for Taiwan's civilian space program.[1] The institute is administered under the Armaments Bureau of the ROC Ministry of National Defense (MND), and is headquartered in Longtan Township, Taoyuan County, Taiwan.[1]
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CSIST was established by the Republic of China government in 1969 to serve as a military R&D and systems integration center[2] Early work includes various missile and radar systems, as well as systems integration for ROC military aircraft and ships.
The institute was involved in attempts nuclear weapons programs during the Cold War. In 1967, a nuclear weapons program began under the auspices of the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) of CIST. After the International Atomic Energy Agency found evidence of the ROC's efforts to produce weapons-grade plutonium, Taipei agreed in September 1976 under U.S. pressure to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Though the nuclear reactor was soon shut down and the plutonium mostly returned to the U.S., a secret program was revealed when Colonel Chang, Hsien-yi, deputy director of nuclear research at INER, defected to the U.S. in December 1987 and produced a cache of incriminating documents.Presently there is no claim any nuclear weapons program is being pursued.
The Institute expanded to the development of dual use technology in 1994. With the expansion of Taiwan's civilian space program, CSIST has also become involved in design of various satellite and launch systems, the latter of which have consisted primarily of scientific rockets to study the ionosphere.
The institute is divided into six research divisions and four centers.
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