TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US is transferring missiles deployed in East Asia to the Middle East as it is quickly depleting regional supplies in the war with Iran.
The US and its Gulf partners have already launched more than 1,000 Patriot missiles, double the number produced annually, according to Bloomberg. Iran has launched over 800 ballistic and cruise missiles and more than 2,400 Shahed attack drones.
As the conflict drags on, the US must address its missile shortage by ramping up production and drawing resources from other allies, per Nikkei Asia.
The Department of Defense announced in January that it would work with Lockheed Martin to boost production of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement missiles from 600 to 2,000 annually. However, the plan will take around seven years.
The US is redeploying Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries in South Korea to the Middle East. However, doing so may weaken South Korea's defensive capabilities and deterrence against North Korea, Nikkei Asia said.
In Japan, Kadena Air Base is the only American military facility where Patriot missiles are deployed. Because Japan maintains its own air defense capabilities, removing US missile systems would not weaken air defenses, according to Nikkei Asia.
The US is also relying on Tokyo for missile production logistical support. Japan already manufactured and exported one batch of Patriot missiles under license last year, and it has agreed to joint production of other systems with the US. Japan's military hardware and technology transfer agreements with the US and the UAE could make missile exports possible, strengthening defense against Iranian air strikes, according to Nikkei Asia.
Taiwan military and government officials expressed concern earlier this month that the Iran conflict 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 PAC-3 MSE missiles. MSE missiles have a more powerful dual-pulse solid rocket motor, allowing Taiwan to better counter China’s Dongfeng ballistic missiles.
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. This would make Taiwan one of the countries with the highest density of air defense missiles in the world.
