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Delivery Backlog
        As the number of deals on the table prove, it is not that the U.S. is not
        keen on providing military aid to Taiwan; it is just that the weapons
        are taking too long to be delivered. Supply chain issued triggered by
        the pandemic has slowed down transfer of arms to such an extent
        that the U.S. is yet to deliver US$14 billion worth of weapons that the
        island has purchased over the last few years. Among the backlogged
        deals are the country’s US$8 billion purchase of 66 F-16 fighter jets,
        the US$2.37 billion deal for Harpoon Block II surface-launched mis-
        siles, US$1 billion in air-launched SLAM-ER missiles, and a US$620
        million contract to replace components of the Patriot missile system.
        The delivery of   asymmetric weapons such as Stinger and Javelin
        missiles, heavyweight torpedoes, high-mobility artillery rocket sys-
        tems, Paladin howitzers, and MS-110 reconnaissance pods have
        also been delayed.

        In order to speed up transfer of weapons to the island, the U.S.
        has included key provisions of the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act                       © TAIWAN AIR FORCE
        (TERA), formerly called the Taiwan Policy Act, in the National Defence
        Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY23. TERA enhances the U.S.-Taiwan   and bullying across the Taiwan strait, in the
        defence partnership by establishing a specific defence modern-  information space and in the economic domain
        ization programme for the island. The “Taiwan Security Assistance   are upsetting the status quo and destabilizing
        Initiative” in TERA provides around US$4.5 billion over four years,   the Indo-Pacific,” says Senate Foreign Relations
        and up to US$10 billion in security assistance over five years, to   Committee  Chairman  Bob  Menendez.  “The
        modernize Taiwan’s security capabilities to deter and, if necessary,   China challenge has become the most signif-
        defeat Chinese aggression. The legislation also declares Taiwan a   icant national security issues our nation has
        major non-NATO ally, a designation that helps speed up arms sales,
        besides providing the legal backing for the U.S. to establish a war   faced in a generation.”
        reserve stockpile for the island that consists primarily of munitions.
                                                                       James Timbie, a former State Department offi-
        The U.S. will help provide Taiwan armed forces training and expe-  cial, and James O. Ellis Jr., a retired U.S. Navy
        dite weapons deliveries, said U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee   admiral, agree. “Distributed, survivable, and
        Chair Michael McCaul, while speaking in Taipei during a visit in April.   affordable defences could greatly complicate
        “Peace through strength is real, and that’s why we need to harden   an attempt to invade Taiwan by the People’s
        Taiwan,” he added, McCaul also advocated rearranging the order   Liberation Army,” the two wrote in an article.
        of the arms deliveries after an assessment of high-risk and high-  Taiwan needs “a large number of small things”
        threat areas.                                                  for distributed defence, they added. “Effective
                                                                       short-range anti-air and anti-ship defences
        As part of its efforts to ensure combat readiness, Taipei is acceler-  could increase the risk that an invasion attempt
        ating the development of its indigenous weapons programme. The   would fail or be substantially delayed either in
        island is investing US$4 billion to upgrade its 141 existing F-16 fighters,   the water or on the island.”
        which were purchased in the 1990s, to the latest F-16V specifica-
        tions. The first upgraded aircraft entered service in 2021. Taiwan has   Taiwan, which produces its own deterrent weap-
        also initiated a US$16 billion programme to produce eight diesel   ons, including minelayer ships, air defence missile
        submarines. Construction of the first unit began in November 2020.   systems and antiship cruise missiles, needs to
                                                                       move away from “expensive, high-profile con-
        Meanwhile, industrial partnerships involving defence contractors in  ventional systems,” Timbie and Ellis Jr. said,
        the U.S. and Taiwan look set to flourish. At the Taiwan-US Defence  advocating a “porcupine strategy” for the island.
        Industry Forum that will take place in Taipei on May 3, weapon  “Taiwan’s expensive conventional platforms are
        makers from the two countries will discuss possibilities of co-pro-  useful to counter gray-zone incursions and they
        ducing weapons. According to reports, Taiwan is interested in joining  have political and industrial benefits as well. But
        hands with the U.S. for the co-production of airborne, surface, and  they are unlikely to survive the initial strikes of
        subsea drones, as well as different kinds of ammunition. About 25  any cross-strait invasion. Implementation of a
        U.S. defence contractors are expected to attend the conference.  strategy that includes a large number of small
                                                                       things could leverage Taiwan’s geographic and
                                                                       technological advantages, exploit the People’s
        The Right Strategy                                             Liberation Army’s vulnerabilities, and help to
        “China’s rapid military build-up, with new technologies and weapons  deter an attempt to take the island by force,”
        that could be used against Taiwan, and its continued aggression  they added.
        ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY                                                                APRIL-MAY 2023 | 35
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