Taiwan arms deliveries set for 2026, US2b arms sale announced

TAIWAN’S Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that the delivery schedule for its additional 18 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) is on schedule. Taiwan had purchased 29 HIMARS launchers for US$1.01 billion with an initial 11 to be delivered by 2025 while the remaining 18 are expected to arrive in 2026.

Aside from that, delivery of the 66F-16V fighter jets are also expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with the defence minister Wellington Koo stating that the first batch would be arriving before end of the year. He added that 19 more are being produced at this time.

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) also approved a potential US$2b sale of weapons to Taiwan, including Taiwan’s first NASAMS system which has been tested in combat in Ukraine.

The proposed sale is for three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) medium-range air defence system, including the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER) valued at US$1.16b. Furthermore,the AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 Radar Turnkey Systems and related systems for US$828 million are also part of the deal.

China has vowed to take ‘countermeasures’ after announcements on the deal were made, releasing a statement that read, “the sales seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests, harm China-US relations and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and send a gravely wrong message to “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. China strongly condemns and firmly opposes this and has lodged serious protests with the US”. -shp/adj/dl (Pix:DVIDS)