Taiwan is buying expensive US weapons systems, but are they the right ones?
The pricey arms packages are already facing legislative pushback. Now critics say they may be addressing the wrong threat
At the centre of the latest criticism are three US-approved systems for Taiwan: the Patriot PAC-3 missile defence system and its upgrades, the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (Nasams) and the M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzer.
According to Taiwan’s defence ministry and some military analysts, the purchases will strengthen deterrence as military pressure from Beijing intensifies. Critics counter that the bigger danger is buying the wrong mix, at the wrong price, for the wrong threat.
“Not only are these weapons expensive, they do not fit the asymmetric warfare concept we say we are pursuing,” said military expert Lu De-yun, a former defence ministry press secretary, giving Taiwan’s new range-extended Patriot interceptors as an example.
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Local media reported the first batch of PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles arrived in January, with a second delivery expected later this year. According to the reports, Taiwan has procured 102 of the interceptors for about NT$20 billion.