One of the three new weapon procurement contracts signed with the US last year is to be delivered by the end of this year, the Ministry of National Defense announced today.
The three contracts are for Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), an L-band electronic array radar and a non-L-band electronic array radar, the ministry said.
Given the frequent military activities in the Taiwan Strait by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the NASAMS and new radar systems will deepen Taiwan’s air defense capabilities, the ministry said.
Photo courtesy of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense
NASAMS have been used effectively in Ukraine, offering up automated detection capability, distributed firepower capabilities, a supporting command and control component, the ministry added.
The two new radar systems will improve detection rates and be resistant to jamming or interference, the ministry said.
NASAMS integrates the MPQ-64 “Sentinel,” multiple types of short and medium-range air defense missiles, and the Link 16 military tactical data link, allowing it to defend against aircraft within a range of 40 to 50 kilometers.
NASAMS will be deployed in Greater Taipei, with one located in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山) and the other in New Taipei’s Tamsui District (淡水), as both locations would be crucial in defending the capital, the ministry said.
The electronic array systems will be spread across the country, the ministry added.
NASAMS has performed well in Ukraine, making it a priority item for the US to recommend to Taiwan as part of the country’s push to increase its asymmetric warfare capabilities, defense expert Mei Fu-hsing (梅復興) said.
Unlike several other arms sales, Mei said, this system aligns well with that goal.
The US government announced on Oct. 26 last year that it would notify the US Congress of the agreements, totaling US$1.988 billion.
This is the 17th arm sale to Taiwan under outgoing US President Joe Biden.
The contract for NASAMS amounts to NT$10.31 billion (US$312.7 million), has a fulfillment date of Dec. 27 of last year, and will run until Feb. 25, 2034.
The L-band electronic array radar will cost NT$6.42 billion and run until 2030, while the non-L model will cost NT$7.61 billion and expire at the same time.
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