Taiwan has signed a NT$24.99 billion (US$761 million) procurement contract with the US for three Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to aid air defense capabilities in northern Taiwan, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday.
The contract was signed by the Defense Mission to the US and the American Institute in Taiwan, amounting to nearly NT$24.99 billion with a six-year time limit for contract performance that runs from Jan. 14 through Dec. 31, 2030, the ministry said in a statement published on the Government e-Procurement System yesterday.
The NASAMS would be delivered to Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and New Taipei City’s Tamsui District (淡水), where they are expected to be deployed, it said.
Photo: screen grab from the Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace Web site
A source, who wished to remain anonymous, said that there is a chance of the first NASAMS being delivered by the end of this year.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on Oct. 25 last year said that the US Department of State had approved three arms sales to Taiwan, including the NASAMS, an L-band AN/TPS-77 long-range radar system and an S-band AN/TPS-78 long-range radar system, which were initially projected to cost about NT$65.2 billion.
The ministry last month said that contracts for the three arms procurements would be signed and delivered by 2034.
The ministry signed four procurement contracts for NASAMS with the US which cost NT$49.3 billion, much less than the NT$65.2 billion estimated and announced by the US government, the source said.
The actual expenditure could be lower because it depends on raw material prices, production costs, order quantities and competing buyers, the source said.
As the ministry’s budget for NASAMS procurement remains classified for this fiscal year, the actual amount of the procurement would not be unveiled until the classified budget is disclosed next year, they said.
According to the DSCA, the new procurement of three NASAMS also included 123 AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, which have a range of up to 50km.
The missiles would be deployed in Taipei and New Taipei City to complete the air defense capabilities in that area in addition to the Patriot Advanced Capability-3, Tien Kung (Sky Bow), Lu Chien II (Land Sword II) and AN/TWQ-1 Avenger missile systems.
The use of NASAMS would boost operational flexibility, as they are compatible with the ammunition employed by F-16 aircraft, including AIM-120 missiles and AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles.
MORE VISITORS: The Tourism Administration said that it is seeing positive prospects in its efforts to expand the tourism market in North America and Europe Taiwan has been ranked as the cheapest place in the world to travel to this year, based on a list recommended by NerdWallet. The San Francisco-based personal finance company said that Taiwan topped the list of 16 nations it chose for budget travelers because US tourists do not need visas and travelers can easily have a good meal for less than US$10. A bus ride in Taipei costs just under US$0.50, while subway rides start at US$0.60, the firm said, adding that public transportation in Taiwan is easy to navigate. The firm also called Taiwan a “food lover’s paradise,” citing inexpensive breakfast stalls
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
PLUGGING HOLES: The amendments would bring the legislation in line with systems found in other countries such as Japan and the US, Legislator Chen Kuan-ting said Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷) has proposed amending national security legislation amid a spate of espionage cases. Potential gaps in security vetting procedures for personnel with access to sensitive information prompted him to propose the amendments, which would introduce changes to Article 14 of the Classified National Security Information Protection Act (國家機密保護法), Chen said yesterday. The proposal, which aims to enhance interagency vetting procedures and reduce the risk of classified information leaks, would establish a comprehensive security clearance system in Taiwan, he said. The amendment would require character and loyalty checks for civil servants and intelligence personnel prior to