TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is still waiting for three weapons systems from the US, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said on Monday (Oct. 7).
Lieutenant General Huang Wen-chi (黃文啓), director of the MND’s Department of Strategic Planning, said that after coordinating with the US, only three items remain delayed: TOW 2B anti-tank missiles, AGM-154C Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOWs), and F-16V fighter jets, CNA reported. The other weapons Taiwan previously purchased have largely been delivered, Huang said.
Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄 ) said that the MND is pushing for the TOW 2B missiles to be delivered by the end of this year after initial batches failed testing but passed in later evaluations.
Regarding the JSOWs, Koo said that since they are the latest variant, the US still needs to perform system integration and prepare production materials, which means longer production times. The MND is urging the US to complete this process as soon as possible, he said.
The first F-16V jet is expected to roll out by the end of this year, with the full order to be completed by 2026, Koo said. The Air Force has been preparing for the jets by building the largest F-16 maintenance hub in the region and stockpiling advanced munitions, including the AIM-9X and AGM-154. It has also purchased MS-110 reconnaissance pods and infrared search and track pods to ensure the fighter jets are fully equipped during missions.
Next year, 65 Air Force personnel will be sent to the US for F-16 training. The program will provide specialized tactical training for pilots and expand the pool of seed instructors.
Taiwan is set to receive the first batch of 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks in December. The tanks will be assigned to the 6th Army Corps to defend northern Taiwan.
Seed instructors training in the US will return to Taiwan by the end of November. After completing the necessary procedures, maintenance and weapons training is set to begin in February 2025, following the Lunar New Year.
Meanwhile, the first batch of Harpoon missile systems recently arrived in Taiwan. One hundred twenty-six missiles will be delivered by the end of 2026.