TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan military and government officials on Wednesday expressed concern that the conflict in Iran could delay deliveries of advanced Patriot missiles.

The military plans to use about NT$20 billion (US$636.9 million) in project funds to procure 102 Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, Liberty Times reported.

Taiwan plans to combine the PAC-3 missiles with domestically produced Sky Bow III and Strong Bow missiles to form a “high-low mix” air defense network, dubbed the T-Dome, per Liberty Times. This would make Taiwan one of the countries with the highest density of air defense missiles in the world.

However, as the US prioritizes replenishing missiles used in the Middle East theater and other countries seek to restock their missile arsenals, Taiwan’s Patriot missile procurement may face delays.

The MSE missiles have a more powerful dual-pulse solid rocket motor than Taiwan’s current PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative missiles, which boosts intercept altitude to nearly 60 kilometers and extends range, they said. The missiles would allow Taiwan to better counter China’s Dongfeng ballistic missiles.

Institute for National Defense and Security Research researcher Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) recently said Taiwan’s military advantage lies in its battle-tested Patriot missile systems and US-made radars, which possess strong anti-jamming capabilities.

He added that Taiwan should accelerate integration of domestically produced weapons and US-made systems into an Integrated Battle Command System to improve engagement efficiency against modern airborne threats.