TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US Navy’s Seal Team 6 has been training for a possible Taiwan Strait conflict, according to people familiar with the matter.

The special forces unit that killed Osama bin Laden has been preparing for a Taiwan conflict for more than a year at its headquarters near Virginia Beach, Financial Times reported. The unit is the naval element of the Joint Special Operations Command. 

The sources did not provide details about the training. When asked to comment on preparations for a Taiwan conflict, Special Operations Command referred questions to the Pentagon, whose spokesperson said the defense department and its assets “prepare and train for a wide range of contingencies.”

The covert training comes as the US increases its focus on deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. In April, former head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, John Aquilino, predicted that Beijing aims to have the capability to seize Taiwan by 2027.

Washington is obliged to help Taiwan provide for its own defense under the Taiwan Relations Act. The US has long had a policy of “strategic ambiguity” in which it does not say if it would come to Taiwan’s defense. 

Even so, the US military has already drafted a contingency plan with Japanese counterparts in case of a Taiwan Strait conflict. Under the plan, US Marines would set up a temporary base on the Ryukyu Islands. Japan’s Self Defense Forces would permit the US to deploy troops to the islands if a Taiwan contingency broke out.

US-Taiwan military cooperation has also increased in recent years as China is ramping up military activity in the region. Taiwan's then-Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) confirmed in March that US special forces are stationed in Kinmen and Penghu to provide training. These military exchanges take place on a "regular basis," Chiu said.

According to a Congressional Research Service report released in April, more than 40 US military personnel were deployed to Taiwan as of December last year. 

The US military routinely sends delegations to observe Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang military exercise. Taiwanese troops have also reportedly trained with the Hawaii, Michigan, Utah, and Washington national guards, according to the report. Taiwan began receiving training through the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program in 2023 as well.

Additionally, Taiwan Air Force pilots have participated in the US Air Force’s F-16 pilot training program in Arizona since 1997.

The US Department of Defense is currently seeking more flexibility from Congress to use its special forces more effectively in supporting American allies, including Taiwan.

Under a new proposal, US Special Operations Command would be able to provide training and equipment to foreign partners to counter “potential future threats,” Business Insider reported.

In the case of Taiwan, enhanced training with American counterparts would increase its deterrence capabilities.