There are 19 weapons purchases worth US$22 billion that have been approved by the US Congress, but await delivery to Taiwan until 2027 or later, a US House of Representatives report said on Wednesday.
The report was written by the Foreign Military Sales Technical, Industrial and Governmental Engagement for Readiness (TIGER) Task Force convened by the House Foreign Affairs Committee in June last year.
The eight-member bipartisan task force aims to study legislative improvements to foreign military sales processes led by the US Department of State amid delays in deliveries to US partners and allies, it said.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Such delays raise concern that partners might turn to other sources, harming US influence and defense manufacturing, it said.
The summary raises Taiwan in particular as an example, saying that 19 outstanding purchases await delivery in 2027 or later.
Some cases do not even have a delivery date, it said, adding that the “process as it functions today fails to meet the challenges posed by the most dangerous national security environment since World War II.”
The delays are a result of policy decisions, prioritization of other conflicts and issues with manufacturing, which is not optimized for wartime production, the report said.
It also cited consolidation in the defense industry, which has made the industry more efficient, but lowered competition incentive to invest in production capacity.
The report offers suggestions for improving legislative bottlenecks, including adjustments for inflation, regular reviews, better funding the Special Defense Acquisition Fund, enhancing exportability and improving communication.
“As we’ve learned with recent conflicts, it’s critical the US help arm our partners and allies like Taiwan in advance, and we hope these reforms will help deter future aggression,” US Representative Mike Waltz, a coleader of the task force, said in a news release.
SHIPS, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES: The ministry has announced changes to varied transportation industries taking effect soon, with a number of effects for passengers Beginning next month, the post office is canceling signature upon delivery and written inquiry services for international registered small packets in accordance with the new policy of the Universal Postal Union, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday. The new policy does not apply to packets that are to be delivered to China, the ministry said. Senders of international registered small packets would receive a NT$10 rebate on postage if the packets are sent from Jan. 1 to March 31, it added. The ministry said that three other policies are also scheduled to take effect next month. International cruise ship operators
NUMBERS IMBALANCE: More than 4 million Taiwanese have visited China this year, while only about half a million Chinese have visited here Beijing has yet to respond to Taiwan’s requests for negotiation over matters related to the recovery of cross-strait tourism, the Tourism Administration said yesterday. Taiwan’s tourism authority issued the statement after Chinese-language daily the China Times reported yesterday that the government’s policy of banning group tours to China does not stop Taiwanese from visiting the country. As of October, more than 4.2 million had traveled to China this year, exceeding last year. Beijing estimated the number of Taiwanese tourists in China could reach 4.5 million this year. By contrast, only 500,000 Chinese tourists are expected in Taiwan, the report said. The report
HORROR STORIES: One victim recounted not realizing they had been stabbed and seeing people bleeding, while another recalled breaking down in tears after fleeing A man on Friday died after he tried to fight the knife-wielding suspect who went on a stabbing spree near two of Taipei’s busiest metro stations, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. The 57-year-old man, identified by his family name, Yu (余), encountered the suspect at Exit M7 of Taipei Main Station and immediately tried to stop him, but was fatally wounded and later died, Chiang said, calling the incident “heartbreaking.” Yu’s family would receive at least NT$5 million (US$158,584) in compensation through the Taipei Rapid Transit Corp’s (TRTC) insurance coverage, he said after convening an emergency security response meeting yesterday morning. National
The Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency yesterday launched a gift box to market honey “certified by a Formosan black bear” in appreciation of a beekeeper’s amicable interaction with a honey-thieving bear. Beekeeper Chih Ming-chen (池明鎮) in January inspected his bee farm in Hualien County’s Jhuosi Township (卓溪) and found that more than 20 beehives had been destroyed and many hives were eaten, with bear droppings and paw prints near the destroyed hives, the agency said. Chih returned to the farm to move the remaining beehives away that evening when he encountered a Formosan black bear only 20m away, the agency said. The bear
RSS