The US should help Taiwan bolster its military self-reliance by accelerating deliveries of weapons Taipei has ordered, Vice Minister of National Defense Hsu Yen-pu (徐衍璞) said on Monday at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Virginia.
The meeting was not open to the media.
Hsu called on Washington to help Taiwan with “total life cycle systems management [TLCSM]” of weapons and support systems purchased from Washington, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Photo: CNA
TLCSM is a US military term referring to the implementation, management and oversight of all activities associated with the acquisition, development, production, fielding, sustainment and disposal of a US Department of Defense weapon system across its life cycle.
Taiwan relies heavily on the US to maintain most of its US-made weapons systems and armaments, but TLCSM capabilities would enable more Taiwanese defense companies and contractors to produce and offer maintenance services for US-bought weapon systems, Hsu said.
That would speed up arms deliveries to Taiwan and help integrate the two countries’ defense industries, which would boost Taiwan’s defense self-reliance and resilience, he said.
Hsu thanked US President Joe Biden for approving 11 rounds of arms sales to Taiwan since taking office in 2021 and endorsing a US$345 million military aid package to Taiwan to be delivered under the Presidential Drawdown Authority.
These moves show that Washington is making Taipei’s defensive needs and self-defense capabilities a priority, Hsu said.
The Russia-Ukraine war has highlighted the importance of accelerating delivery of weapons systems to Taiwan to beef up its defense capabilities, he said.
The three-day US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference was to conclude yesterday.
Since its 2002 debut, the annual conference has facilitated engagement between the US defense industry and the governments of Taiwan and the US on security matters, organizers said.
This year’s conference was the largest ever, said Rupert Hammond-Chambers, president of the event’s organizer, the US-Taiwan Business Council.
More than 200 participants from the two nations’ governments, as well as defense industry representatives, discussed the future of bilateral defense cooperation, the organizers said.
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