President William Lai’s (賴清德) “T-Dome” initiative to build a multilayered air defense network would cost an estimated NT$400 billion (US$12.8 billion), or about one-third of the proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget, according to a senior official.
Commenting on condition of anonymity, the source said that Taiwan would need to buy new arms and equipment to supplement the nation’s existing air defense systems to achieve the advanced capabilities envisioned for the initiative.
This means procurements for an array of domestic and foreign systems, including at least two Chiang Kung (強弓, “Strong Bow”) systems and 128 missiles for NT$36.6 billion, they said.
The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology-developed air defense system with a maximum interception height of 70km — an offshoot of the Tien Kung III (天弓, “Sky Bow”) missile’s design — would become Taiwan’s primary high-altitude defense missile, the official said.
Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement systems (PAC-3 MSE), with an interception height of 45km to 60km, would fill the medium-altitude defense role, they said.
The nation is planning to buy enough PAC-3 MSEs to equip an air-defense battalion for NT$125 billion, they said.
The government would buy 230 Tien Kung III missiles with an interception height of 45km for NT$15 billion and a number of National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems for NT$115 billion to handle lower-altitude threats, they said.
The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, which costs about NT$94 billion, would likely be used to control missile engagements for the air defense network, the official added.
The PAC-3 currently in use with a 24km intercept height, land-based Tien Chien II with a 15km intercept height and Stinger with a 4km intercept height would continue to be used to counter cruise missiles, airplanes, helicopters and drones.
Minister of National Defense Wellington Koo (顧立雄) previously told lawmakers during a legislative committee meeting on the defense resilience and asymmetric capabilities enhancement special budget that the program would be spent over a period of eight years, from next year to 2033.
The special budget, which focuses on one-time investments, centralizes the allocation of resources to ensure the nation would acquire key capabilities without delay, he said.
These capabilities are precision artillery, long-range attack missiles, anti-ballistic missile systems, anti-armor guided missiles, uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and UAV countermeasures, equipment related to operational sustainability, and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled command and control systems, as well as weapons jointly developed by Taiwan and the US, he said.
According to Koo, the defense ministry is prioritizing the needs of the T-Dome initiative, capabilities that use AI and other technology to shorten kill chains, and systems that facilitate the nation’s drive to decouple defense supply chains from China.
On Friday at the Legislative Yuan, motions by opposition parties requiring Lai to take questions from the legislature on his proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget were sent directly to a second reading and cross-party negotiations.
Additional reporting by CNA
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