The Ministry of National Defense yesterday said that it has purchased four General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones from the US.
The drones would be handed over to Taiwan in the US in the second half of 2025 and their equipment would be delivered by the first half of 2027, Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said, adding that drone operators would undergo six months of training.
Chiu made the announcement while briefing the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on the progress of the military’s procurement of fighter jets and weapons.
Photo: CNA
TWO BATCHES
Lee Shih-chiang (李世強), head of the ministry’s Department of Strategic Planning, said the drones — which cost NT$21.7 billion (US$707.62 million) — would be delivered in pairs in two batches, adding that drone operators would be trained in the US.
“We originally hoped that the entire training process could be carried out in Taiwan, but the required training modules and venues cannot be fully replicated in Taiwan without incurring great cost,” he said.
COMBAT ADVANTAGE
The Reapers would give the military a significant combat advantage, as they would provide a data link allowing real-time information sharing with the US, he said, adding that this would create a collaborative combat environment and assist the US in making precision long-range strikes.
Meanwhile, Chiu said that Taiwan would not receive financial compensation for a nearly one-year delay in the delivery of F-16V jets purchased from the US.
Speaking with reporters on the sidelines the legislative meeting, Chiu said that the contract signed with Washington does not include financial penalties for late delivery.
However, the US has promised to provide F-16V spare parts and logistics accessories ahead of schedule due to the delay, Chiu said, without elaborating.
Chiu said that, for the time being, the air force needs to increase its fighter jet availability on its own.
In the meantime, the ministry would ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan’s defense mission in Washington and the American Institute in Taiwan to help speed up the jets’ delivery from Lockheed Martin, Chiu said.
Despite the delay, Taiwan is to receive all 66 fighter jets before the end of 2026 as scheduled, the defense ministry said.
In addition to the 66 new F-16Vs, Taiwan began a program in 2016 to retrofit all of its existing 140 F-16A/Bs into the more advanced F-16V format, which is expected to be completed later this year.
Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology president Art Chang (張忠誠) told lawmakers at the meeting that the institute is considering turning retired F-5 trainers into uncrewed aerial vehicles or target drones.
Taiwan has been building its own “Brave Eagle” advanced jet trainers to replace the aging F-5 jets.
CALL FOR PEACE: Czech President Petr Pavel raised concerns about China’s military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait and its ‘unfriendly action’ in the South China Sea The leaders of three diplomatic allies — Guatemala, Paraguay and Palau — on Tuesday voiced support for Taiwan’s inclusion in the UN on the first day of the UN General Debate in New York. In his address during the 78th UN General Assembly, Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr urged the UN and all parties involved in cross-strait issues to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful resolution. “The well-being and prosperity of nations and their economies are intrinsically linked to global peace and stability,” he said. He also thanked partner nations such as Taiwan, Australia, Japan and the US for providing assistance
CROSS-STRAIT CONCERNS: At the same US Congress hearing, Mira Resnick said a US government shutdown could affect weapons sales and licenses to allies such as Taiwan A Chinese blockade of Taiwan would be a “monster risk” for Beijing and likely to fail, while a military invasion would be extremely difficult, senior Pentagon officials told the US Congress on Tuesday. Growing worries of a conflict come as China has ramped up military pressure on Taiwan, holding large-scale war games simulating a blockade on the nation, while conducting near-daily warplane incursions and sending Chinese vessels around its waters. US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner said a blockade would be “a monster risk for the PRC [People’s Republic of China].” “It would likely not succeed, and it
AMPHIBIOUS EXERCISES: The defense ministry said that it had detected 24 Chinese PLA Air Force planes entering Taiwan’s air defense zone over the previous 24 hours Chinese movements around Taiwan were “abnormal,” Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) said yesterday, flagging recent amphibious exercises in addition to drills Taipei has observed in China’s Fujian Province. Taiwan has reported a rise in Chinese military activity over the past week as dozens of fighters, drones, bombers and other aircraft, as well as warships, have operated around the nation. “Our initial analysis is that they are doing joint drills in September, including land, sea, air and amphibious,” Chiu told reporters at the legislature in Taipei. The “recent enemy situation is quite abnormal,” he said. The comments followed a statement from the
IN MOURNING: Tsai visited the site and spoke with family members of those killed, while all the major presidential candidates said they would temporarily halt campaigning A fire and subsequent explosions at a golf ball factory at Pingtung Technology Industrial Park (屏東科技產業園區) killed at least seven people, including four firefighters, and injured 98, while three were still missing, authorities said yesterday. The blaze at Launch Technologies Co’s (明揚國際) plant on Jingjian Road raged for more than 12 hours after it started at about 5pm on Friday, officials said. The Pingtung County Fire Bureau early yesterday used large excavators to search for missing people, while family members waited at the scene. Pingtung County Fire Bureau Director Hsu Mei-hsueh (許美雪) said the bureau received a call about the fire at 5:31pm