Taipei: The Ministry of National Defense (MND) has announced the receipt of a letter of acceptance (LOA) from the United States for the sale of high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), which expires on March 26, as confirmed by Defense Minister Wellington Koo. Koo spoke to reporters about the development at the Legislature.
According to Focus Taiwan, the United States had previously announced the sale of 82 HIMARS to Taiwan on December 17, at an estimated cost of US$4.05 billion as part of a historic US$11.1 billion arms package. An LOA is a binding document that confirms a foreign government's agreement to purchase military equipment under a regulated government program. It authorizes the U.S. government to contract with American weapons manufacturers to procure the systems. The offer lapses if the LOA is not signed by the deadline, necessitating a review of the deal.
In addition to the HIMARS, Taiwan has received LOAs for M109A7 self-propelled howitzers valued at US$4.03 billion, Javelin anti-armor missiles at US$375 million, and TOW missiles at US$353 million. The deadline for signing these LOAs is March 15, as noted by the MND. Taiwan is still waiting for the acceptance letters for the Altius-700M and Altius-600 drones.
Koo urged the Legislature to promptly authorize the MND to sign the LOAs for all five systems, emphasizing the potential impact on Taiwan's defense capabilities if the agreements are not finalized in time. The government and the opposition-controlled Legislature have been in disagreement over the financing of U.S.-approved weapons or domestic systems deemed necessary for Taiwan's defense.
The Cabinet proposed a special budget of NT$1.25 trillion (approximately US$40 billion) to cover the acquisition of both domestic and foreign-made weapons systems over the next eight years. However, opposition parties have approved only NT$400 billion for the purchase of weapons in the US$11.1 billion arms package.
Reaching an agreement on the LOAs with impending deadlines might occur before the funding bills are reconciled. A motion submitted by the opposition Taiwan People's Party to authorize the MND to sign the initial three LOAs advanced to a second reading on Friday. However, cross-caucus negotiations are needed for the motion to progress further.
Meanwhile, when asked about a news report suggesting a delay in the delivery of two MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones due to the war in the Middle East, Koo questioned the report's accuracy. He stated, "I don't know where that news came from," and clarified that no weapons deliveries have been affected by the conflict in the Middle East. Taiwan has ordered four MQ-9B surveillance drones from the United States, initially set for delivery in 2025. The timeline has been adjusted to 2026 and 2027, with the first batch scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of this year, as per Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Ching-jan's statement at the Legislature in November.