TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is expanding domestic missile production as pressure on US weapons supplies increases concerns about future delivery delays, Nikkei Asia reported Friday.
Taiwan develops and produces missiles through the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology, its main government-funded weapons developer. The effort supports plans to strengthen Taiwan’s defenses while it continues buying weapons from the US.
The programs include the Hsiung Sheng, a domestically developed long-range land-attack cruise missile. Nikkei reported that it is designed to strike hardened targets.
The institute oversees both missile development and production. Taiwan has invested in new facilities and greater manufacturing capacity as security concerns rise across the Taiwan Strait.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has said foreign arms purchases and domestic weapons programs are equally important. He said Taiwan must continue strengthening its defense capabilities through both approaches, Youth Daily News reported.
The expansion comes as US weapons manufacturers are struggling to increase missile production capacity fast enough to meet rising demand. US weapons supplies have also come under pressure from military operations in Iran and continued support for Israel and Ukraine.
The pressure has raised concerns among US partners in Asia about possible delivery delays. Japan and Australia are awaiting deliveries of US-made Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Japan, South Korea, and Australia are also expanding domestic missile production. Some programs use US designs, while others depend on locally developed technology.
Defense analysts cited by Nikkei said stronger domestic production could reduce reliance on US supplies during a regional crisis. However, shortages of important components and US restrictions on technology transfers continue to slow some projects.
For Taiwan, domestic missile production is intended to complement rather than replace US arms purchases. The goal is to maintain a more reliable weapons supply as regional security risks increase.
