Taipei: The United States has finalized a deal to sell Taiwan three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) at a price of around NT$24.98 billion (US$761.94 million), a military source confirmed.
According to Focus Taiwan, an announcement posted on Taiwan's Government e-Procurement System website stated that the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) and the ROC Defense Mission to the USA have signed a contract permitting Taiwan's procurement of "air defense missile systems."
The contract is valid from January 14, 2025, until December 31, 2030. The announcement specified that the contract's enforcement agency is the Republic of China (ROC, Taiwan's official name) Air Force, and the locations where the contract is to be honored are Taipei's Songshan District and New Taipei's Tamsui District.
A military source told CNA that the announcement referred to Taiwan's order to purchase three NASAMS, connecting it to a previous announcement about "parts and components for air defense missile systems" posted last month. The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency had earlier informed Congress of a potential sale of NASAMS to Taiwan after obtaining approval from the State Department. This package included 123 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles-Extended Range (AMRAAM-ER) missiles and related equipment.
This marks the 17th foreign military sales package to Taiwan approved by former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration. Ruling Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Wang Ting-yu, quoting Tony Hu, the first senior country director for Taiwan at the Pentagon, stated that AMRAAM-ER missiles enhance existing air defense systems and offer more capability than the retired HAWK missiles and active Skyguard systems.
The NASAMS was the first air defense system adopted by the U.S. to protect its capital and can be integrated with the AN/TWQ-1 Avenger Air Defense System, Wang cited Hu as saying. The ROC Defense Mission to the USA operates under the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., while the AIT serves as the U.S.' de facto embassy in Taiwan, in the absence of formal diplomatic ties.