The Ministry of National Defense yesterday released a report detailing unclassified portions of the government’s proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$39.7 billion) special defense budget as it continued to seek legislative approval for the bill.
A redacted version of the report released to the public detailed seven major acquisition programs: tube and rocket artillery systems, air defense systems, long-range strike missiles, uncrewed aerial vehicles, drone countermeasures and ammunition stocks.
The budget is to cover the programs’ costs for eight years, it said.
Photo: CNA
Taiwan is to buy two types of artillery systems from the US: 60 M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzers worth NT$81 billion, and NT$160 billion for 82 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems plus 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, the report said.
These platforms would replace the obsolete guns that the military currently uses, it said.
The ministry would dedicate NT$335 billion to obtain a large fleet of uncrewed aerial vehicles, and countermeasures against drones, the report said.
The platforms include 32 Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology Albatross II drones, 1,146 coastal surveillance and reconnaissance drones to be acquired by the Armaments Bureau, and 280 vertical takeoff and landing-capable aerial drones.
They also include 208,200 uncrewed coastal strike drones to be acquired by the bureau, and US-made anti-armor loitering munitions, including 478 Altius-600ISRs and 1,554 Altius-700Ms.
Taiwan is to obtain soft-kill and hard-kill counterdrone capabilities, but the make and model of the systems have been redacted in the report.
The ministry is to buy 635 man-portable counterdrone systems off the shelf, and the Armaments Bureau would be tasked with acquiring 1,320 kamikaze boats, the document said.
It plans to allocate NT$550 billion for air defense systems, anti-ballistic missile interceptors and anti-tank guided missile systems.
It is to obtain two types of systems developed by the institute, including 128 effectors, it said.
The nation would also buy 70 Javelins with 1,050 missiles and 24 TWO-2B with 1,545 missiles, all from the US, the report said.
The ministry plans to acquire or develop another missile whose name, purpose and quantity have all been redacted.
Taiwan would use the special defense budget to fund applied artificial intelligence (AI) and C4ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) systems, the report said.
A domestically developed system described only as an AI-assisted decisionmaking tool is included in the budget, with all other details redacted.
The ministry is additionally creating a Taiwan Tactical Network and team awareness kits consisting of 120,191 tablets and smartphones designed for military use, with 10 types of devices planned, the report said.
The government is to invest NT$50 billion in the defense industrial base to strengthen the military’s staying power, it said.
This means funding the establishment of new assembly lines for multiple types of ammunition, military-spec batteries and armored fighting vehicles, and foreign suppliers for 120mm and 105mm main gun ammunition, and 30mm chaingun ammunition, and 350 deployable barrier systems, it said.
The final program, which concerns Taiwan-US collaborations in arms development, is to be allocated NT$64 billion.
All other details about this program is classified.
The legislature must approve the special budget for foreign suppliers to secure export authorizations and establish production plans in time for Taiwan to obtain key military capabilities necessary for the nation’s defense, the ministry said in the report.
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