In terms of Taiwan, feedback from the Trump administration in regards to the island nation growing its protection price range to as much as 10 % of its annual gross home product have been making headlines, however this isn’t the true downside.
Taiwan depends virtually completely on the US for arms gross sales attributable to its diplomatic constraints. Such gross sales from the US are mandated by the Taiwan Relations Act, handed by the U.S. Congress in 1979. This reliance renders Taiwan notably weak to persistent delays and systemic issues in U.S. arms deliveries. Persistent backlogs proceed to hamper Taiwan’s protection planning and budgetary momentum — casting a protracted shadow over even the strongest political and institutional help for arms funding.
If the U.S. authorities and the protection trade it oversees can’t repair the systemic issues with late deliveries, Taiwan will probably be left to defend its shores with outdated tools, together with World Conflict II-era artillery.
Escalating Prices of U.S. Arms Delays
Washington is involved about Taiwan’s insufficient protection spending stage, underprepared navy, and any doable indicators that will present the island’s lack of willingness to struggle. Nevertheless, the repeated delays in weapon supply are exactly why Taiwan’s protection price range is unable to develop considerably. The weapon no-shows are hurting Taiwanese taxpayers’ confidence in such spending, and it’s more and more tough for lawmakers to justify them in entrance of their citizens. Due to this fact, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan has been extra cautious with price range evaluate, freezing — however not chopping — the components that concern U.S. international navy gross sales and direct industrial gross sales which have skilled delays — to trace challenge execution.
Taipei regularly experiences supply delays of important navy belongings bought from Washington. The $750 million M109A6 Paladin howitzer deal is one instance. In 2020, Taiwan’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection prioritized the development of long-range precision hearth, together with the procurement of the M109A6 self-propelled howitzer, as detailed in its official assertion. The challenge, proposed by way of a categorised price range, rapidly gained the Legislative Yuan’s approval. But, In 2022, the Protection Ministry was knowledgeable that attributable to “manufacturing line diversion,” the supply schedule for brand new artillery could be considerably delayed.
Below the unique schedule, the primary batch of eight M109A6 self-propelled howitzers was anticipated to reach in Taiwan in 2023, adopted by 16 items in each 2024 and 2025, finishing the complete supply of 40 items by the tip of 2025. Nevertheless, in accordance with Taiwan’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection, supply has now been delayed to 2026 — and even then, solely six items are anticipated to reach that yr. This marks a delay of greater than three years for the general procurement timeline.
Taiwan’s mechanized infantry nonetheless depends on M114 155-millimeter howitzers, first produced in 1942, making them outdated. Restricted vary and lack of automation have develop into a big weak point within the Military’s firepower. Delays additional hinder Taiwan’s artillery modernization efforts.
Likewise, the FIM-92 Stinger missiles, initiated by the Ministry of Nationwide Protection to deal with the necessity for infantry anti-air capabilities, have been designated as an “pressing operational requirement” to expedite the challenge.
The challenge later underwent value will increase and renegotiations, with the amount bought growing from an preliminary 250 to almost 2,500. Nevertheless, Taipei confirmed in 2022 that the deliveries have been delayed attributable to “adjustments within the worldwide state of affairs.”
Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan, in its price range evaluate decision, clearly famous that the timeline for the complete Stinger missile program has been prolonged via FY2031, with the full price range elevated to roughly $2.17 billion. Nevertheless, it additionally identified that the missiles, launch techniques, and identification gadgets have but to be delivered — a state of affairs deemed unreasonable. Latest information signifies there could also be additional delays, forcing the Ministry of Nationwide Protection to ship delegations to the US to maintain observe of progress. It needs to be famous that some Stinger missiles reported to have arrived in 2023 have been sourced via U.S. navy assist below the Presidential Drawdown Authority, not as a part of Taiwan’s authentic arms buy program. (In truth, the Ministry of Nationwide Protection has remained intentionally low-key in regards to the particular contents of transfers, so particulars stay unclear). Due to this fact, the Stinger missiles bought via Taiwan’s navy price range are nonetheless undelivered.
Taiwan’s means to keep up efficient air protection capabilities over the Taiwan Strait is more and more challenged, and the continued delays in buying next-generation fighter plane have worsened this imbalance. The primary batch of recent F-16Vs was initially scheduled for supply within the fourth quarter of 2023. Nevertheless, attributable to pandemic-related provide chain disruptions, Taiwan was knowledgeable that supply could be postponed to the third quarter of 2024. As of 2025, no additional updates have been supplied.
One other ongoing case is the F-16A/B improve program, which incorporates airframe upgrades which have already been accomplished in 2023. Nevertheless, sure elements — such because the digital radio frequency reminiscence digital warfare pods and AGM-154C missiles — have been delayed from an authentic supply timeline of 2023 to 2026. This program can also be one of many circumstances that noticed a part of its funding frozen in FY2025.
The identical sample has plagued Taiwan’s Abrams tanks and TOW 2B anti-tank missiles, highlighting a systemic difficulty in U.S. arms gross sales execution. These weapons techniques have been meant to develop into a right away deterrent and have been frequently highlighted by consultants as a core ingredient of the porcupine technique and uneven warfare, but most face supply delays (the main exception being HIMARS, which have been delivered early).
Key Circumstances for Legislative Backing
Regardless of disruptions from the pandemic, the world has lengthy moved out of the shadow of COVID-19, and the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict has develop into the brand new regular. These components not justify routine delays in weapons tasks, to not point out the truth that a lot of the buy of the delayed techniques preceded the Russo-Ukrainian Conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic. Even when Ukraine was in a roundabout way competing with Taiwan for a similar weapon techniques, as Jennifer Kavanagh and Jordan Cohen argued, the results of delays should not evenly felt.
Whereas inadequate funding within the U.S. protection industrial base is a considerable driver of some delays, within the case of the M109A6 Paladin howitzer deal, nevertheless, the producer — BAE Techniques Inc. — of their response to Taipei’s accusation of its lack of capability, said that it had adequate manufacturing capability to fulfill Taiwan’s wants and ship on schedule. Contradicting data and opaque messaging from Washington have confused leaders and stakeholders in Taipei.
As a result of navy expenditure had not translated into improved protection capabilities, repeated reminders and alerts from the Taiwanese equal of the Congressional Funds Workplace have raised public considerations in regards to the central authorities’s means to handle navy investments and America’s effectivity in arms gross sales, resulting in extra stringent price range oversight. The opinions have aimed to make sure the effectivity and accountability of protection spending and procurements.
U.S. arms gross sales to Taiwan contain advanced relationships amongst governments and arms producers from Taiwan and the US. Taipei’s coverage circle could not have absolutely grasped the secretive negotiations between energy brokers and stakeholders in Washington when arms procurement efforts fall in need of expectations. At instances, even when the U.S. navy recommends a procurement plan to Taipei and Taiwan has allotted the required price range, the proposal nonetheless fails to safe approval from the State Division or Congress.
For instance, Taiwan allotted over $900 million in 2021 to buy ten MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters, a platform lengthy beneficial by the U.S. Navy. The State Division determined not to reply to the request, arguing that the helicopters wouldn’t considerably strengthen Taiwan’s protection. Equally, Taiwan’s deliberate acquisition of the M109A6 self-propelled howitzers was placed on maintain after years of negotiation and a formal announcement of approval of the gross sales by the US, with U.S. officers later urging a change to the newer M109A7 variant. Extra just lately, stories point out that Taiwan could also be getting ready a brand new arms request — doubtlessly between $7 billion and US$10 billion — that might embody funding for that newer variant. It’s now virtually sure that Taiwan’s authentic M109A6 program is put aside attributable to a shift in U.S. assessments relating to Taiwan’s operational wants, and is now being changed by a possible M109A7 acquisition.
These circumstances spotlight deeper structural points: senior officers face restricted accountability, there may be usually a scarcity of urgency or strategic readability in prioritizing key gross sales, and the method itself stays fragmented—with no coherent framework or platform among the many Pentagon, State Division, Congress, trade, and companion governments.
Regardless of the said causes for supply delays are, together with U.S. industrial bottlenecks as Kavanagh and Cohen rightly spotlight, much less consideration is paid to the cascading results these failed arms procurements have on Taiwan’s inside protection budgeting course of. Taiwan should keep bipartisan political help for protection budgets, and well timed supply is essential for sustaining public confidence and political consensus. Persistent delays end in public skepticism of a great return on funding and thereby erode legislative belief in procurement, making a vicious cycle that additional slows Taiwan’s protection modernization and the budgets mandatory to attain it.
Regardless of such considerations among the many public, the Legislative Yuan — no matter social gathering affiliation — has persistently maintained a extremely open and supportive stance towards funding in weapons procurement. Newly proposed arms purchases from the US are hardly ever, if ever, topic to price range cuts, even when the legislature is notified in solely the broadest or most pressing phrases.
The one International Army Gross sales or Direct Business Gross sales challenge Taipei lower this yr was the “assault drone” challenge, which includes the acquisition of Switchblade 300 and ALTIUS 600M-V, attributable to alleged U.S. producer value gouging to Taiwan’s Ministry of Nationwide Protection. Different protection spending cuts primarily focused administrative bills, journey, and publicity prices with low execution charges. In truth, Taiwan’s opposition-led legislature has simply accepted the largest-ever nationwide protection price range ($14.3 billion — a rise of 8.5 % from final yr). Whereas passing the protection price range has broad political consensus, the general public nonetheless expects that such spending be each environment friendly and accountable.
Delays in arms deliveries can hinder will increase in Taiwan’s protection price range not merely attributable to legislative and consultant politics. Even when the Legislative Yuan approves funding for weapons procurement, Taiwan’s unbiased audit physique — the Nationwide Audit Workplace of the Management Yuan — additionally screens how authorities spending is carried out. Previous audits in 2023 revealed that, out of a complete of 419 U.S. arms gross sales circumstances, almost $26.7 billion price of arms remained undelivered attributable to delays. These figures present up within the authorities’s ultimate accounts, which straight have an effect on Taiwan’s means to safe greater protection budgets within the following yr.
Lowering the backlog of undelivered arms is due to this fact important for unlocking better price range help — not solely in dealings with legislators, but in addition when the protection ministry faces auditors or negotiates for extra funding throughout the Taiwanese authorities in the course of the price range request section of every cycle.
Overcoming the Backlog Problem
Change has to start out from inside. Taipei ought to strengthen its negotiation abilities and reveal to its those that it may be a savvy purchaser reasonably than relying solely on the opposite facet’s compliance. As an alternative of merely reacting to U.S. calls for, it must undertake a firmer stance in negotiations, actively difficult unfavorable pricing buildings, supply delays, and substandard situations — whereas sustaining clear negotiation boundaries.
Particularly, navy gross sales contracts between Taiwan and the US needs to be extra rigorous, explicitly stipulating supply situations and incorporating authorized alternate options for obstacles and new situations. Taiwan’s protection ministry at the moment lacks an efficient mechanism to supervise key features of its U.S. arms gross sales, corresponding to contract execution, challenge progress, and funds to contractors, however it may be improved. In response to the U.S. Division of Protection Safety Help Administration Guide, C6.3.6.1 grants buying international locations (corresponding to Taiwan) the proper to request extra data regarding contract costs. C6.3.6.2 specifies that the discharge may be thought of if the contract is unclassified and solely contains necessities for the requesting nation. This authorized basis helps a structured framework for normal data alternate, enhancing transparency and effectivity. It’s also important that each legislatures keep knowledgeable.
Moreover, in circumstances of delayed new tools deliveries, the U.S. navy ought to not less than present sure stockpiles to Taiwan’s forces for coaching and doctrine improvement first. The Biden administration’s use of the Presidential Drawdown Authority in 2023 helped mitigate arms sale delays, however this stopgap method is unsustainable and never a long-term answer to our protection acquisition technique.
Most significantly, the US ought to revise export limits, streamline arms gross sales approvals, and enhance the underlying analysis and decision-making processes to make sure consistency, improve effectivity, and forestall its worldwide companions from receiving contradictory responses. Though all these efforts would require further effort from the US, they’ll successfully enable Taiwan, with adequate data, to make extra self-defense commitments, additionally easing U.S. protection dedication pressures.
Ship for Taiwan’s Willingness
Taiwan is greater than prepared to extend its navy spending and allocate extra of its price range to arms gross sales. Nevertheless, attributable to its democratic system and societal expectations, Taipei requires U.S. or Pentagon-supervised producers to meet their contractual guarantees. Well timed and constant supply of navy belongings will guarantee steady, environment friendly, and efficient buy of weapons, thus enhancing the island’s protection readiness. With out them, allies’ considerations will flip into frustrations. Amid an more and more turbulent geopolitical panorama, Taipei will inevitably look to Washington for extra arms purchases, however Washington ought to ship.
Kevin Ting-Chen Solar is a senior legislative coverage advisor to a Kuomintang legislator on the Taiwan Legislative Yuan and a licensed lawyer.
Howard Shen was a international coverage fellow at Taiwan Legislative Yuan’s International Affairs and Nationwide Protection Committee on the Kuomintang workers.
Picture: U.S. Military by way of Wikimedia Commons
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