Taiwan Arms Sales notified to Congress from 1990 to December 7, 2020. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) only, in US$ billion and by number of notifications.
Sources:
– FMS Data from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency at http://www.dsca.mil
– Kan, Shirley A., “Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990” Congressional Research Service Report RL30957, January 5, 2015
Note that the gaps in notifications were as follows:
October 25, 2005 – February 28, 2007
October 3, 2008 – January 29, 2010
September 21, 2011 – December 16, 2015
December 16, 2015 – June 29, 2017
The US-Taiwan Business Council today welcomed the announcement of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Taiwan of up to 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) with up to 400 RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II Surface Launched Missiles and related equipment and support. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this proposed arms sale on October 26, 2020.
The published Congressional Notification (transmittal number 20-68) is for a total expected program cost of US$2.37 billion. The proposed sale consists of up to 400 RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II Surface Launched Missiles and 4 RTM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II Exercise Missiles. Also included are 411 containers, 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense System Launcher Transporter Units, 25 radar trucks, spare and repair parts, and other elements of personnel, documentation, engineering, technical, and logistics support.
In response to this notification, the fourth involving Taiwan over the last week, US-Taiwan Business Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers said, “it is important to look at the totality of Taiwan’s capacity-building efforts to fully grasp the effort to improve Taiwan’s defensive capabilities.”
Hammond-Chambers added “These mobile land-based coastal defense batteries, with proven and reliable Harpoon missiles, add to Taiwan’s existing anti-ship defenses and provide significant additional deterrent capabilities. The substantial expansion of Taiwan’s Coastal Defense Cruise Missile stocks, which also include the domestically designed and built Hsiung Feng II/III, is a welcome development.”
The US-Taiwan Business Council today welcomed the announcement of three possible Foreign Military Sales to Taiwan of 135 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) Missiles, 6 MS-110 Recce Pods, and 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) M142 Launchers, along with related equipment and support.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certifications notifying Congress of these proposed arms sales on October 21, 2020. The published Congressional Notifications (transmittal numbers 20-69, 20-75, and 20-77) are for a total expected program cost of US$1.8113 billion.
Notification 70-69 – for an estimated program cost of US$1.008 billion – includes 135 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) Missiles [a precision-guided, air-launched cruise missile], 4 ATM-84H SLAM-ER Telemetry Missiles, 12 CATM-84H Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM), 151 containers, spare and repair parts, along with related equipment, training, engineering, and other elements of technical and logistics support.
Notification 70-75 – for an estimated program cost of US$367.2 million – includes 6 MS-110 Recce Pods [advanced reconnaissance for F-16 fighter jets], 3 Transportable Ground Stations, 1 Fixed Ground station, spare and repair parts, system support and equipment, training, documentation, and other related elements of logistical and program support.
Notification 20-77 – for an estimated program cost of US$436.1 million – includes 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) M142 Launchers [a truck-mounted light multiple rocket launcher], 64 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) M57 Unitary Missiles. 7 M1152Al High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs), 11 M240B Machine Guns (7.62MM), and 17 International Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems (IFATDS). Also included are 54 M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket Pods (LCRRPR), 11 M2Al machine guns (.50 caliber), radio systems and radio ground stations, 11 M1084A2 cargo Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) Resupply Vehicles (RSV), 2 M1089A2 cargo wrecker FMTV RSV, and 11 M1095 trailer cargo FMTV (5-ton). In addition, the notification includes support, training, testing, and communications equipment, along with related elements of logistical and program support.
The US-Taiwan Business Council supports these Congressional notifications. Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers stated that “The quality of the three programs notified today clearly reflects the urgency of continued Taiwan force modernization to counteract China’s hegemonic behavior. Each program adds an important deterrent capability that should further complicate any consideration by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to threaten or to use force to coerce Taiwan into a political union.”
Hammond-Chambers went on to say “The US-Taiwan Business Council believes that Taiwan arms sales notifications should be driven by the regular internal process, and should be free of political delays. Today’s announcements continue the return to regular order for consideration, process, and release of needed capabilities.”
The US-Taiwan Business Council today welcomed the announcement of a possible Foreign Military Sale of Repair and Recertification of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missiles to Taiwan. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certification notifying Congress of the proposed arms sale on July 9, 2020.
The published Congressional Notification (transmittal number 20-24) is for a total value of approximately US$620 million. The notification includes recertification of (PAC-3) missiles, Repair and Return of classified and unclassified PAC-3 missile items and Ground Support Equipment, replenishment of missile spares and GSE spares along with a seeker spares pool, air transportation services for missile processing, and other related technical and logistics support. [1]
The US-Taiwan Business Council is encouraged by these Congressional notifications. Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers said “The maintenance of Taiwan’s PAC-3 capability is a welcome development. Taiwan is undertaking an important commitment to sustaining the quality of its legacy equipment, in support of deterring the coercive military threat from China. It is an important signal from the governments of Presidents Tsai and Trump that they are committed to peace and security in the Taiwan Strait through strong defensive capabilities.”
“Taiwan’s PAC-3 ground-to-air SAM system plays an essential role in protecting Taiwan from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) missile forces that physically and politically threaten and intimidate the country. The U.S. is right to support all of Taiwan’s legitimate defense needs, whether new F-16 fighters or the upgrade of legacy equipment.”
Hammond-Chambers went on to say that “the PLA’s commitment to its own force modernization – and the threat that poses to peace and security in Asia – is a constant reminder that consistent arms sales to Taiwan is in the interests of the United States and of its Asia Pacific allies.”
Taiwan Arms Sales notified to Congress from 1990 to August, 2019. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) only, in US$ billion and by number of notifications.
August 28, 2019
Corrected total 2019 figures and updated the cited version of the Major U.S. Arms Sales report. With thanks to Shirley Kan. Also added a chart showing the number of FMS notifications by year.
Sources:
– FMS Data from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency at http://www.dsca.mil
– Kan, Shirley A., “Taiwan: Major U.S. Arms Sales Since 1990” Congressional Research Service Report RL30957, January 5, 2015
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2018 will be held October 28-30, 2018 in Annapolis, Maryland. This will be the seventeenth annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
This year, the conference will open with a discussion on Taiwan’s role in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, and look at how Taiwan can increase regional engagement on defense and national security issues. We will then discuss Taiwan’s Overall Defense Concept (ODC) and current operational and tactical thinking, examining how Taiwan can continue to develop its capabilities in order to meet its existing and future defense needs. The third session will look at ODC implementation across the air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains, and how companies can play a role in supporting this implementation. The last two sessions will look first at offsets under Taiwan’s Industrial Cooperation Program, and will then pivot to discuss Taiwan’s industrial security in the defense sector – including personnel security issues, digital security, as well as trade secrets and IP protection.
The first conference in this series was the St. Petersburg, Florida event where former Taiwan Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming gave the keynote address in March of 2002. The second conference in the series was held in February 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, the third in October 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona, the fourth in September 2005 in San Diego, California, the fifth in September 2006 in Denver, Colorado, and the sixth in September 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland. Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min gave the keynote address at the seventh conference in the series, held in September 2008 on Amelia Island, Florida. The eighth conference was held in September 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the ninth in October 2010 in Cambridge, Maryland, and the tenth in September 2011 in Richmond, Virginia. The eleventh conference was held in September 2012 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the twelfth in September 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland. The thirteenth conference in October 2014, the fourteenth in October 2015, and the fifteenth in October 2016 all took place in Williamsburg, Virginia. The sixteenth conference was held in October 2017 in Princeton, New Jersey.
Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers will include senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government.
Conference sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.
Please join the Global Taiwan Institute and the US-Taiwan Business Council for a joint event to discuss Taiwan’s indigenous defense industry development and opportunities for U.S. – Taiwan industrial cooperation. The panelists will provide an update on the recent Taiwan-US Defense Business Forum held by the USTBC (and TW-DIDA) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In addition, GTI will discuss its forthcoming occasional report on Taiwan’s indigenous defense industry.
Panelists:
David An, Senior Research Fellow, Global Taiwan Institute
Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President, US-Taiwan Business Council
Fu Mei, Director, Taiwan Security Analysis Center
Michael Perry, Senior Vice President, Global Aftermarket, AMS Group
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2017 will be held October 15-17, 2017 in Princeton, New Jersey. This will be the sixteenth annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
This year, the conference will open with a policy discussion on the Trump Administration’s current and future policies in Northeast Asia from a variety of regional perspectives, and will examine its potential impact on Taiwan defense affairs in the short, medium, and long term. We will then discuss the threat and response options for Taiwan, and how the island could exploit its adversary’s weaknesses in both traditional and emerging domains – covering air, land, and sea, as well as cyber and space. The final two sessions will extrapolate on those responses, and will examine their potential implications on developing business opportunities for the defense and security industries in both Taiwan and the United States.
The first conference in this series was the St. Petersburg, Florida event where former Taiwan Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming gave the keynote address in March of 2002. The second conference in the series was held in February 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, the third in October 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona, the fourth in September 2005 in San Diego, California, the fifth in September 2006 in Denver, Colorado, and the sixth in September 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland. Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min gave the keynote address at the seventh conference in the series, held in September 2008 on Amelia Island, Florida. The eighth conference was held in September 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the ninth in October 2010 in Cambridge, Maryland, and the tenth in September 2011 in Richmond, Virginia. The eleventh conference was held in September 2012 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and the twelfth in September 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland. The thirteenth conference in October 2014, the fourteenth in October 2015, and the fifteenth in October 2016 all took place in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers will include senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government.
Conference sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.
The US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference 2016 will be held October 2-4, 2016 in Williamsburg, Virginia. This will be the fifteenth annual event in a series of ongoing conferences addressing the future of U.S. defense cooperation with Taiwan, the defense procurement process, and Taiwan’s defense and national security needs.
This year, conference sessions will consider the regional situation in the Asia-Pacific and its potential impact on Taiwan’s self-defense, along with U.S. participation in Asia in light of the upcoming U.S. presidential election. A discussion on the process of U.S.-Taiwan defense cooperation will be followed by three sessions examining the past, present, and future of such cooperation, each with a specific focus on shipbuilding, airpower, and ground-based systems. Finally, we will consider how U.S.-Taiwan cooperation on information & electronic systems could allow U.S. and Taiwan companies to work together.
The first conference in this series was the St. Petersburg, Florida event where former Taiwan Minister of National Defense Tang Yiau-ming gave the keynote address in March of 2002. The second conference in the series was held in February 2003 in San Antonio, Texas, the third in October 2004 in Phoenix, Arizona, the fourth in September 2005 in San Diego, California, the fifth in September 2006 in Denver, Colorado, and the sixth in September 2007 in Annapolis, Maryland. Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min gave the keynote address at the seventh conference in the series, held in September 2008 on Amelia Island, Florida. The eighth conference was held in September 2009 in Charlottesville, Virginia, the ninth in October 2010 in Cambridge, Maryland, and the tenth in September 2011 in Richmond, Virginia. The eleventh conference was held in September 2012 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, the twelfth in September 2013 in Annapolis, Maryland, the thirteenth in October 2014 in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the fourteenth in October 2015 in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Keynote Addresses & Conference Program
Keynote speakers will include senior representatives from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense and from the U.S. government. US-Taiwan Business Council Chairman Dr. Paul Wolfowitz will be the conference host.
Sessions at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference feature a moderator and several speakers on the panel, and some sessions may include additional commentators. Each speaker gives a short presentation on the session topic from his or her own viewpoint and expertise. Those presentations are then followed by a moderator-led discussion among the panelists, as well as a moderator-driven question and answer period with the attendees. This format offers the maximum amount of time for exchanges among the panelists, as well as between the panel and the audience, allowing the sessions to become a forum for substantial and valuable interaction and discussion.
In preparation for their participation in the 2015 Paris Air Show, Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology released promotional videos to feature alongside the hardware that they will be exhibiting at the show. The aim is to “promote Taiwan’s achievements in defense technology and other areas,” and “exploring opportunities to introduce locally produced key weapon modules into international supply chains.”
The Hsiung Feng III supersonic anti-ship missile (HF III “Brave Wind”)
The Tien Kung III surface-to-air missile (TK III “Sky Bow”)
The Cardinal II unmanned aircraft system
The National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology (NCSIST) is Taiwan’s main weapons research and development center. The organization, previously known only as CSIST, was spun off from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) in April of 2014.
