The United States confirmed the sale of a nearly $700 million air defense missile system to Taiwan on Monday, marking Washington's second major arms package for Taipei in less than a week.
The Pentagon announced that defense contractor RTX received a firm-fixed-price contract worth $698,948,760 to produce National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System fire units for Taiwan, with work expected to be completed by February 2031.
The agreement, funded through fiscal 2026 foreign military sales, follows an earlier $330 million arms sale approved on November 13 for fighter jets and aircraft parts, the first such deal since President Donald Trump took office in January.
Raymond Greene, Washington's de facto ambassador in Taipei, emphasized the United States' unwavering commitment to Taiwan during remarks to the American Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
America's commitments to Taiwan are rock-solid, Greene told business leaders, adding that Washington is backing those commitments with action, primarily through growing defense industrial cooperation.
The timing proves critical as Chinese military activity intensifies around Taiwan and regional tensions rise, particularly following a diplomatic firestorm between China and Japan over Taiwan-related comments from Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Why Did Washington Approve Two Major Arms Deals in One Week
The rapid succession of arms approvals reflects a strategic shift in Washington's approach to Taiwan's defense, accelerating weapons deliveries amid mounting Chinese pressure.
The November 13 approval of $330 million in F-16 fighter jet spare parts and aircraft components represented the Trump administration's first arms sale to Taiwan since taking office, signaling continuity in US defense policy despite political transitions.
Just five days later, the Pentagon moved forward with the substantially larger NASAMS contract, demonstrating urgency in bolstering Taiwan's air defense capabilities against increasingly sophisticated threats.
Greene's public remarks on Tuesday framed arms sales within a broader peace-through-strength doctrine, explicitly linking defense cooperation to deterrence objectives.
Our focus is on helping Taiwan achieve peace through strength, and nowhere is this more evident than in our growing defense industrial cooperation, Greene stated at the AmCham Taiwan annual general meeting.
The back-to-back approvals send a clear diplomatic message to Beijing that Washington views Taiwan's defense readiness as non-negotiable, regardless of Chinese protests or diplomatic consequences.
Did you know?
On April 27, 2025, a single Ukrainian NASAMS battery commanded by Kyrylo Peretiatko intercepted 11 Russian cruise missiles in under two minutes, setting a record for reloading speed and demonstrating unprecedented efficiency in modern air defense warfare.
What Makes NASAMS So Effective in Modern Combat
The NASAMS medium-range air defense platform has demonstrated exceptional combat performance in Ukraine, achieving a 94 percent effectiveness rate and intercepting over 900 Russian missiles and drones since November 2022.
According to Colonel Per Steinar Trøite, head of the Norwegian Air Force's support department for Ukraine, the system's remarkable success rate stems from its advanced radar integration, rapid response capabilities, and ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously.
In one particularly impressive engagement on April 27, 2025, a Ukrainian NASAMS battery destroyed 11 Russian cruise missiles in under two minutes, showcasing the system's unprecedented reload speed and operational efficiency.
The system employs AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles with effective ranges up to 180 kilometers against certain targets, though operators typically engage threats at 25 to 50 kilometers to maximize interception accuracy.
NASAMS proved especially effective against cruise missiles, the primary weapon in Russia's aerial bombardment campaigns against Ukrainian infrastructure.
The unit commanded by Kyrylo Peretiatko alone has destroyed over 150 aerial targets since deployment, primarily cruise missiles, establishing NASAMS as one of the most reliable air defense systems in modern warfare.
How Will Taiwan Integrate This System With Existing Defenses
Taiwan will become only the third Indo-Pacific nation to operate NASAMS, joining Australia and Indonesia in deploying the advanced air defense platform.
The system, jointly developed by RTX and Norway's Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, is specifically designed to integrate seamlessly with Taiwan's existing Patriot missile batteries, creating a multi-layered defense network against cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones.
This integration approach allows Taiwan to establish overlapping coverage zones where different systems complement each other's strengths, with Patriots handling high-altitude ballistic threats while NASAMS addresses medium-range cruise missiles and aircraft.
The modular architecture of NASAMS provides flexibility in deployment, enabling Taiwan to strategically position batteries around critical infrastructure, government facilities, and population centers.
Each NASAMS battery comprises multiple launchers, radar systems, and command centers that can operate independently or as part of a coordinated network.
The February 2031 completion timeline suggests a phased deployment approach, enabling Taiwanese forces to train operators, establish maintenance protocols, and integrate command and control systems gradually rather than rushing capabilities into service.
ALSO READ | Saudi Arabia Gains Non NATO Ally Status Under Trump Deal
What Is Driving China-Japan Tensions Over Taiwan Right Now
Diplomatic relations between China and Japan plunged to new lows following remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on November 7, when she stated that any Chinese military action against Taiwan could constitute a survival-threatening situation enabling Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense.
Beijing reacted furiously to the statement, summoning Japan's ambassador and demanding a full retraction and apology.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning claimed Takaichi's comments violated the spirit of the four political documents and damaged the political foundations of China-Japan relations.
China escalated tensions by suspending imports of Japanese seafood products, advising its citizens against traveling to Japan, and halting the release of Japanese films in Chinese theaters.
Chinese Consul General in Osaka Xue Jian posted on social media that he would cut off a dirty neck without a moment's hesitation, in reference to Takaichi, prompting Japanese protests and diplomatic complaints.
Japan's top Asia Pacific official, Masaaki Kanai, traveled to Beijing on November 17, attempting to de-escalate the crisis, but Chinese Premier Li Qiang declined to meet Takaichi at the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa, signaling a continued diplomatic freeze between Asia's two largest economies.
Can Defense Cooperation Transform Taiwan Into a Manufacturing Hub
Greene articulated an ambitious vision for transforming Taiwan into a major defense manufacturing hub during his November 18 remarks, citing enormous potential arising from Taiwan's manufacturing prowess combined with America's advanced defense research.
Given Taiwan's world-leading semiconductor fabrication capabilities, precision manufacturing expertise, and established supply chains, the island possesses unique advantages for producing high-technology defense components.
Greene emphasized that incorporating Taiwan's machine tool and advanced manufacturing expertise could help realize President Trump's pledge to build, create, and grow more American products using American labor, goods, and grit.
Taiwan's commitment to raise defense-related spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2030 makes it the first non-NATO partner to reach such spending levels, demonstrating serious political will behind defense modernization efforts.
This spending increase, combined with technology-transfer opportunities from US defense contractors such as RTX, could position Taiwan as a regional production center for advanced weapons systems, sensors, and precision-guided munitions.
The strategic calculus extends beyond Taiwan's immediate defense needs, potentially creating a resilient Indo-Pacific defense industrial base less vulnerable to Chinese economic coercion or supply chain disruptions.
China sharply condemned both recent arms sales, with Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang stating the transactions seriously violate the one-China principle and warning the United States to immediately stop its wrongful actions of arming Taiwan.
Beijing lodged formal protests with Washington over both deals, consistent with its longstanding position that arms sales to Taiwan constitute interference in China's internal affairs.
However, the Biden and Trump administrations have maintained that such sales align with the Taiwan Relations Act, which commits Washington to providing Taiwan with defensive weapons necessary to keep sufficient self-defense capabilities.
As Chinese military exercises around Taiwan intensify and regional tensions escalate, the $700 million sale of NASAMS represents Washington's clearest signal yet that America's security commitments to Taiwan remain ironclad, regardless of diplomatic consequences.
Comments (0)
Please sign in to leave a comment