The majority of the 18 ongoing public budget military procurement projects from the US are progressing normally, the Ministry of National Defense said in a report to the Legislative Yuan on Friday.
The second batch of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) multiple-launch rocket launchers, which has extended strike capabilities, is set to be delivered ahead of schedule next year, and 80 M1A2T main battle tanks have already been delivered, the report said.
Taiwan purchased 29 HIMARS launchers from the US worth NT$32.5 billion (US$1.04 billion) and received the first 11 last year, it said.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
The second batch of 18 HIMARS launchers, originally scheduled for delivery in 2027, has now been confirmed for completion one year earlier, with all units to be delivered next year, the ministry said, adding that it would greatly enhance the military’s cross-region reinforcement and precision strike capabilities.
Eighty M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks have already been delivered, and the delivery of the remaining 39 is on schedule, the report said.
The tanks are gradually replacing older tanks and bolstering the army’s capability to defend the capital and stop an amphibious assault on the beaches, it added.
The delivery of Javelin and TOW missiles, the navy’s Block 1B Phalanx close-in weapons system, and missile-bearing drones highlight the nation’s effort to reinforce its asymmetric combat capabilities, it said.
Regarding delays in the delivery of F-16 Block 70 jets, the report said the first jet was expected to roll off the production line in 2023, but was delayed to this year due to research and development of bespoke systems.
The delivery of the entire order, 66 F-16s, has been set for next year and has not been subject to further delays, it added.
While the 141 F-16A/B block 20s, obtained in 1997, were upgraded to the F-16V standard last year, the AGM-154C Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) missiles they were to be outfitted with have been delayed due to longer production times, as Taiwan purchased the newest model, the ministry said.
Global production capability for the MK-48 heavy torpedo, which Taiwan purchased for the Hai Kun (海鯤), the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, has been affected by the Russia-Ukraine war, and delivery has been pushed back from 2028 to 2030, the report said.
The US government is aware of supply chain issues and has made Taiwan a priority partner, while expediting deliveries and back-end logistics to prevent repeat incidents of completed equipment left to sit in warehouses undelivered, it added.
The military would continue maintain close contact with the US to ensure equipment is delivered and integrated into combat units, the ministry said.
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