Washington: The Pentagon is working urgently to expedite the delivery of 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) to Taiwan, a U.S. Department of Defense nominee said Tuesday. Austin J. Dahmer, nominee for assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and forces, addressed the issue during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.

According to Focus Taiwan, Dahmer was questioned about the progress of the Harpoon missile systems sale that was approved during President Donald Trump’s first administration. Senator Ted Budd highlighted that only a few of the 100 systems approved have been delivered so far and inquired about the Pentagon’s strategy to ensure the timely completion of the deal.

Dahmer responded by sharing his visit to the Harpoon production line in Missouri, where he sought to understand the broader challenges facing the U.S. defense industrial base. Regarding the Harpoon order, Dahmer emphasized that the Pentagon is “working very urgently and expeditiously” to ensure that Taiwan possesses the necessary capabilities for self-defense.

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) had announced the sale of the 100 HCDS to Taiwan in 2020. In a written response, Dahmer stated that under Washington’s “strategy of denial,” the U.S. aims to deter Chinese aggression across the First Island Chain through the integration of multiple military capabilities, operational concepts, and deployments.