U.S. SEEKS TO SPEED UP DELIVERIES OF TAIWAN WEAPONS
Island’s military chief says America has ‘taken many steps’ to address backlog of arms orders as fears build of possible mainland action by 2027
The United States is trying to expedite the delayed delivery of much-needed weapons ordered by Taiwan as the island seeks to fortify its defences, according to the island’s military chief Chiu Kuo-cheng.
Chiu’s remarks came as Admiral John Aquilino, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, repeated his warning that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could potentially target the self-governing island within three years.
Echoing previous testimony he gave to the US Senate in March, Aquilino said in Tokyo that President Xi Jinping had directed the PLA to be prepared for potential action by 2027. “That is a specific task by the president to his military forces,” Aquilino said. “When [Xi] gives them a task, they will move out on it.”
Other US military officials and experts, including CIA director William Burns, have also expressed concern about the possibility of Beijing’s being able to attack Taiwan by 2027.
Beijing regards Taiwan as its territory to be brought under control, even if it means resorting to force. Like most countries, the US does not recognise Taiwan as independent but is opposed to any forcible change in the crossstrait status quo.
While Washington maintains formal relations with Beijing rather than Taipei, it has remained committed to supplying Taiwan with weaponry.
However, delays in American arms shipments to Taiwan in recent years have prompted concerns in both the US Congress and Taiwan that this could undermine the island’s military preparedness.
During a meeting with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Tuesday, a group of US politicians expressed concern over escalating threats from Beijing.
Mark Alford, one of the group members from the House Armed Services Committee, said there was an urgent need to “reduce the backlog in delivering foreign military sales to Taiwan”, saying swift action was needed to help Taiwan
“maintain its defensive capacity against potential military and other forms of coercion”.
He said he and his colleagues were “committed to putting pressure on the powers that be” so Taiwan could receive the weapons and aid it needed.
In response, Chiu said on Wednesday that he felt the US side had “already taken many steps” to speed up the weapons systems deliveries.
“For instance, they have set up a ‘Tiger [Technical, Industrial and Governmental Engagement for Readiness] team’ to aid us, whether in discussing our arms acquisitions or expediting the delivery of individual cases to prevent delays.”
The team is tasked with identifying the cause of the delay and resolving it.
According to Washingtonbased think tank the Cato Institute, there is a substantial backlog of US$19.1 billion worth of weapons ordered by Taiwan, some of which have been delayed for a decade or more.
The largest portion consists of US$10.87 billion in traditional arms, followed by US$5.4 billion of asymmetric weapons and US$2.84 billion in munitions.
The delayed asymmetric weapons included Harpoon coastal defence missiles, MQ-9B unmanned aircraft, and Stinger missiles, Cato said in its March 5 report.
Traditional weapons include F-16C/D Block 70 fighter jets and M1A2T Abrams tanks, while munitions include AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) systems, MK-48 heavyweight torpedoes and AIM-9X Block II missiles.
In a February 7 report, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which also established a bipartisan Tiger team to identify problems, warned of the risks associated with delays and lack of transparency in foreign military sales, stressing the potential adverse impact on US national security.
“Numerous cases face delays that directly endanger US national security to date, and for Taiwan alone, 19 outstanding weapons purchases totalling US$22 billion have been approved by Congress but await delivery in 2027 or later.
Some cases do not even have anticipated delivery dates assigned,” the report said.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has attributed the backlog to factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and supply chain disruptions, expressing confidence that the industry would eventually catch up.
Analysts cautioned that delayed shipments would have a detrimental impact on Taiwan if the island relied solely on foreign military sales.
“Weapons systems and munitions, especially the large items involving advanced technologies, require considerable time to be combat-ready,” said Alexander Huang Chieh-cheng, a professor of international relations and strategic studies at Tamkang University in New Taipei.
He said it took three to five years to transition newly acquired systems from initial operational capability to full operational capability.
Su Tzu-yun, a senior analyst at the Institute for National Defence and Security Research, a government think tank in Taipei, said: “Normally, weapons ordered now are intended to replace or enhance current combat capabilities within a five-year time frame. Even with delays of two or three years, the impact on our military’s combat readiness would be minimal.”
He noted that the military had taken a dual-track approach, procuring weapons abroad as well as domestically.
“This approach not only spreads risks but also ensures the retention of indigenous technology in Taiwan,” Su said, pointing out that Taiwan had the capacity to produce over 60 per cent of its military equipment and systems.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, domestic production accounts for 64 per cent of Taiwan’s arms procurement, with a focus on missiles, constituting 56 per cent of total acquisitions.
Chang Yen-ting, a retired Taiwanese air force general, stressed the importance of expedited weapon deliveries. He said delays of five or 10 years could render the delivered weapons outdated or irrelevant to actual battlefield needs by the time they arrive.
“They might not be able to fully utilise their firepower potential due to the emergence of newer technologies, which would render them obsolete,” he said.