By Ministerie van Defensie
The United States has announced the sale of an advanced missile system worth nearly $700 million to Taiwan, marking its second weapons package in just one week and bringing the total value of arms sales to the island to $1 billion. The latest deal underscores Washington’s continued commitment to supporting Taipei’s defence capabilities.
The system, manufactured by RTX, is the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), a medium-range air defence solution that has been battle-tested in Ukraine. The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that the company had received a firm fixed-price contract to supply NASAMS units, with work projected to be completed by February 2031. “Fiscal 2026 foreign military sales [Taiwan] funds in the amount of $698,948,760 were obligated,” the Pentagon stated.
Currently, in the Asia-Pacific region, only Australia and Indonesia operate NASAMS, making it a new capability for Taiwan. Last year, the US had already announced that Taiwan would receive three NASAMS units as part of a separate $2 billion weapons sale. The system, used effectively in Ukraine to counter Russian attacks, significantly enhances Taiwan’s air defence capacity amid rising regional threats.
This announcement follows another recent US approval for the sale of warplanes and related aircraft parts to Taiwan for $330 million, the first such deal since President Donald Trump took office in January. The move was welcomed by Taipei but drew ire from Beijing.
“It should be clear today and will remain clear into the future that America’s commitments to Taiwan are rock-solid,” said Raymond Greene, the de facto US ambassador in Taipei, during an event organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan on Tuesday. “We are backing these words with actions, with a focus on supporting Taiwan’s efforts to achieve peace through strength. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our growing defence industrial cooperation.”
The arms sales come amid escalating diplomatic tensions in the region, particularly between Beijing and Tokyo over Taiwan. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested on November 7 that Japan could intervene militarily if the self-ruled island were attacked. In response, Chinese coastguard ships sailed near a group of East China Sea islands controlled by Japan but claimed by China. Japan also scrambled fighter jets on Saturday after a Chinese drone flew between Taiwan and Japan’s westernmost island, Yonaguni.
Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo commented on the regional tensions on Wednesday, urging China to abandon any plans to use force to settle disputes. “China should abandon its thinking of using force to resolve things,” he told reporters.
Taiwan is strengthening its military capabilities to better defend against potential Chinese attacks, including efforts to build its own submarines to secure vital maritime supply lines. Meanwhile, China’s military conducts almost daily operations around Taiwan, which Taipei describes as a “grey zone” strategy intended to test and exhaust its forces.
Despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, US law obligates Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself, much to Beijing’s continuing frustration. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed to “reunify” the island with the mainland, using force if necessary. While most countries comply with China’s diplomatic demands, many maintain economic and semi-official relations with Taipei.
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