TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Defense Minister Wellington Koo (顧立雄) confirmed Wednesday that the Cabinet approved the NT$800 million (US$25.4 million) initial payment for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) earlier in the week.
When asked by DPP Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城) during a Legislative Yuan meeting about the payment, defense ministry officials responded that “the money has been sent,” CNA reported.
To ensure the initial payment for HIMARS could be made before the May 31 deadline, the Ministry of National Defense applied for emergency budget disbursement under Article 84 of the Budget Act.
The ministry previously requested an extension for the payment deadline, which was originally March 30. Deputy Defense Minister Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said at the time that the ministry was in talks with the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
Under the recently passed special defense budget, the defense ministry plans to purchase HIMARS between 2026 and 2032, with a total budget of NT$159.7 billion. NT$2.799 billion has been allocated for this year.
A military source said Taiwan’s military is reportedly planning to deploy the rocket systems to Penghu and Dongyin islands, according to Liberty Times. This would extend Taiwan’s strike range into China’s coastal provinces and potentially force People’s Liberation Army units to move more than 100 kilometers inland.
