Amid rapidly evolving threats from China, the United States is accelerating the arms deliveries to Taiwan. However, it may be a long time before the island state secures the delivery of some critical weapon systems needed to thwart a potential Chinese invasion.
In an interview with Taiwanese publication, the de facto US ambassador to Taipei said that the US is working to expedite arms shipments to Taiwan. The statement is likely to calm nerves among Taiwanese officials who have been concerned about US arms deliveries to Taiwan, especially after the Trump administration decided to temporarily halt military assistance for Ukraine.
Speaking at the interview, Raymond Greene, Director of the American Institute in Taiwan said, “We are actively working to accelerate delivery timelines, particularly for equipment related to asymmetric warfare as this is especially crucial for Taiwan’s defence. If the war in Ukraine comes to an end, we are expected to shift our focus back to Taiwan’s defence needs.”
China maintains that Taiwan, a self-governing island of more than 23 million people, is a renegade Chinese province that must reunite with the Chinese mainland. The leadership in Beijing has made no bones of the fact that it will seize Taiwan with force if necessary.
With the threat of an invasion looming large, Taiwan has been building an asymmetric warfare strategy to strengthen its defense against a numerically and technologically superior People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Much of this has been based on lessons from the Ukraine War and centres on drones, air defense systems, and electronic warfare (EW) equipment, to name just a few.
Taiwan has launched a comprehensive military modernization effort, which includes some very lethal and big-ticket arms purchases from the US. However, the de-facto ambassador’s comments that the weapons being expedited to Taiwan were mainly meant for asymmetric warfare could also mean that some big offensive weapons (like fighter jets) may be delayed further.
There is a rumor that the delivery of two crucial weapons systems is delayed. The lead defense reporter from Taiwan Plus News wrote on X that Taiwan’s Defense Minister, Wellington Li-Hsiung Koo, says two major US weapons deals, including the AGM-154C Block III missiles and the 66 F-16V Block 70/72 fighter jets, are still delayed.
It is believed that the US slowed the transfer of military equipment to Taiwan to prioritize arms deliveries to Ukraine. However, that could change if a ceasefire agreement is finalized between Russia and Ukraine.
Additionally, Mike Waltz, President Donald Trump’s national security advisor, said on January 14 that Trump intends to increase the pace of US military equipment and arms transfers to Taiwan.
At the time, Waltz said, “We have over a $20 billion backlog of things that they paid for and that we need to work hard to free up and have them get what they paid for as a deterrent measure.”
F-16 & JSOW Delivery Is Delayed
Taiwan has not received a substantial chunk of the weapons it purchased from the US in recent years. However, the most significant of these is the F-16 Block 70/72 ‘Viper,’ which is expected to be a cornerstone of Taiwan’s air power.
In 2019, the US approved Taiwan’s request to buy 66 F-16 Block70/72 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin. The original plan was for the first F-16 Vipers to arrive in 2023. However, several factors, including supply chain troubles brought on by the coronavirus and other software problems, led to multiple delays. The delivery has been pushed to the end of 2026 but further delays have not been ruled out.
Taiwan is also upgrading 139 of its F-16s to the Viper variant in addition to acquiring new F-16Vs under the “Peace Phoenix Rising” initiative. The first phase of this program was completed in February 2024.
The upgraded F-16 Viper will be the most advanced combat aircraft in the Taiwanese Air Force, and the self-ruled island’s best bet against the PLA Air Force (PLAAF) in the event of a conflict.
Even though the F-16V is a fourth-generation fighter (as opposed to the fifth-generation J-20 that China operates), its improved avionics suite allows it to have numerous sophisticated features.
The aircraft has very advanced features including the active electronically scanned array (AESA) of the Northrop Grumman AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR). Notably, the advanced radar technology improves target-spotting capabilities for low-observable targets like cruise missiles, boosts resistance to electronic countermeasures, and expands detection and engagement ranges.
The F-16V’s unique center pedestal display enhances tactical situational awareness by giving the pilot access to data gathered by the SABR and additional sensors.
The upgraded F-16V also features a Sniper aiming pod, Link 16, a cueing system mounted on the helmet, accurate GPS navigation, increased weapon capability, an upgraded modular mission computer, an ethernet high-speed data network, and a redesigned center cockpit pedestal display. In addition, the wings, fuselage, and landing gear have all seen several structural upgrades that have improved the aircraft’s sustainability and capabilities.
