TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The military plans to use approximately NT$20 billion (US$636.9 million) in project funds to procure 102 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles.
The military will also use a portion of the proposed NT$1.25 trillion special defense budget to purchase additional PAC-3 MSEs to form more than one missile battalion, Liberty Times reported. The advanced Patriot missiles, along with Taiwan’s domestically produced Sky Bow III and Strong Bow missiles, will form a “high–low mix” air defense network, dubbed the T-Dome.
Taiwan would then have one of the largest arsenals of Patriot missiles in the world, creating a powerful strategic deterrent against China. Liberty Times cited military and government sources as saying that the PAC-3 MSE missile’s high unit price and follow-on maintenance equipment and technical support led Taiwan to only buy 102.
Military sources explained that the MSE missiles have a more powerful dual-pulse solid rocket motor compared to Taiwan’s current PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative missiles. This boosts intercept altitude up to nearly 60 kilometers, while also extending range, they said. These advanced missiles would allow Taiwan to counter China’s Dongfeng ballistic missiles.
