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Is Taiwan’s US$95 million missile deal value for money?
- Mainland analysts say the Patriot missile system is expensive to maintain and will not offer protection against attacks
- However, Taipei may receive a morale boost from the deal and feel it is a way of buying US protection and support
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Taiwan’s latest arms deal with the United States to upgrade its missile defences is of questionable value, according to mainland Chinese military analysts, but they also said Taipei may feel the cost is a way of buying protection.
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The US State Department this week approved a US$95 million package of equipment, training and other services to support the island’s Patriot missile defence system.
It was the third American arms deal with the island since Joe Biden took office a year ago.
In February, the United States approved another US$100 million deal to support the Patriot defence system, which is designed to counter ballistic missiles and warplanes
Taiwan received its first PAC (Patriot Advanced Capability)-2 systems in 1997 and has since upgraded the system. Local media reports say it now has more than 400 PAC-3 missiles.
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Taipei has also said it will also receive PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement systems from the United States in 2025 and 2026.
There are no official relations between the US and Taiwan. But the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act – passed after the US switched official recognition from Taipei to Beijing – requires Washington to help the island to defend itself.
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