A batch of FIM-92 Stinger missiles arrived overnight on Thursday, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported yesterday, citing an unnamed source.
The arms shipment delivered in a Boeing 747 cargo plane at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport has been received by the Ministry of the National Defense, the newspaper reported.
It is part of a US$500 million aid package to Taiwan utilizing the US’ presidential drawdown authority, which draws from US stocks of weaponry and has been used to expedite weapons deliveries to Ukraine, the report said.
Photo: REUTERS
The air defense weapons are handheld portable variants of the Stinger missile system.
The package is believed to include weapons systems earmarked for Taiwan, but whose delivery had been delayed due to the Russia-Ukraine war and supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The armed forces already operate variants of the missile, including the Dual Mount Stinger (DMS), the Humvee-mounted Avenger weapons system and an air-launched version adapted for Apache attack helicopters.
Stingers are light, mobile, fire-and-forget air defense weapons that enable the operator to seek cover, relocate or engage a new target immediately after firing, which increases efficiency. They can also be used as short-range weapons against aircraft flying at low altitudes.
The US authorized the transfer of Stinger missile systems in 1996. No further transfers were made after 2000 out of concern that the weapons possess an offensive potential.
On Tuesday last week, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told the US Congress that a substantial military aid package would be delivered to Taiwan.
Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) confirmed that the US had informed Taipei of the package ahead of its public announcement.
Commenting on condition of anonymity, a US defense official said that US President Joe Biden used special emergency presidential powers to authorize the package and ensure that backlogged arms would be delivered to bolster Taiwan’s defenses.
No further comments about the implementation details and items in the package could be made, they said.
Yesterday, Institute for National Defense and Security Research analyst Shu Hsiao-huang (舒孝煌) said that the backbone of the nation’s air defenses is comprised of US-made Patriot and domestically developed Tien Kung missiles, but the nation lacks weapons that are effective against low-flying aircraft.
Portable handheld Stinger air defense missiles would be effective against helicopters and drones launched from Chinese People’s Liberation Army amphibious assault ships, he said.
Recent simulations conducted by US think tanks have underscored the importance of having adequate stockpiles of ammunition in deterrence and warfare, he said.
Modern warfare is highly intensive in the use of ammunition and equipment, and Taiwan would not be able to resupply if it is subjected to a naval blockade, Shu said.
The reported inclusion of Stinger missiles and anti-armor weapons such as TOWs and Javelins in upcoming packages suggests that the US is prioritizing territorial defense over long-range strikes or decisive battles at the beachhead, retired air force lieutenant general Chang Yan-ting (張延廷) said.
Ukraine defends its air space from Russia by utilizing air defense missiles, including Stingers, which precludes the invaders from deploying mass airstrikes, he said.
Additional reporting by Wu Su-wei
WAITING GAME: The US has so far only offered a ‘best rate tariff,’ which officials assume is about 15 percent, the same as Japan, a person familiar with the matter said Taiwan and the US have completed “technical consultations” regarding tariffs and a finalized rate is expected to be released soon, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference yesterday, as a 90-day pause on US President Donald Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs is set to expire today. The two countries have reached a “certain degree of consensus” on issues such as tariffs, nontariff trade barriers, trade facilitation, supply chain resilience and economic security, Lee said. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation, investment and procurement, she said. A joint statement is still being negotiated and would be released once the US government has made
NEW GEAR: On top of the new Tien Kung IV air defense missiles, the military is expected to place orders for a new combat vehicle next year for delivery in 2028 Mass production of Tien Kung IV (Sky Bow IV) missiles is expected to start next year, with plans to order 122 pods, the Ministry of National Defense’s (MND) latest list of regulated military material showed. The document said that the armed forces would obtain 46 pods of the air defense missiles next year and 76 pods the year after that. The Tien Kung IV is designed to intercept cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to an altitude of 70km, compared with the 60km maximum altitude achieved by the Missile Segment Enhancement variant of PAC-3 systems. A defense source said yesterday that the number of
‘CRUDE’: The potential countermeasure is in response to South Africa renaming Taiwan’s representative offices and the insistence that it move out of Pretoria Taiwan is considering banning exports of semiconductors to South Africa after the latter unilaterally downgraded and changed the names of Taiwan’s two representative offices, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday. On Monday last week, the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation unilaterally released a statement saying that, as of April 1, the Taipei Liaison Offices in Pretoria and Cape Town had been renamed the “Taipei Commercial Office in Johannesburg” and the “Taipei Commercial Office in Cape Town.” Citing UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, it said that South Africa “recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the sole
Taiwanese exports to the US are to be subject to a 20 percent tariff starting on Thursday next week, according to an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump yesterday. The 20 percent levy was the same as the tariffs imposed on Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh by Trump. It was higher than the tariffs imposed on Japan, South Korea and the EU (15 percent), as well as those on the Philippines (19 percent). A Taiwan official with knowledge of the matter said it is a "phased" tariff rate, and negotiations would continue. "Once negotiations conclude, Taiwan will obtain a better