Second This Week: US Approves $700M Missile Sale to Taiwan

By Staff, Agencies

The United States has approved a $700 million sale of a battle-tested missile system to Taiwan, its second arms package for Taipei in a week, raising total support to $1 billion and underscoring Washington’s commitment to the island.

In the Indo-Pacific region, only Australia and Indonesia currently operate the system, three units of which the US said last year Taiwan would receive as part of a $2 billion weapons sale.

The National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System [NASAMS], a medium-range air defense platform produced by RTX, represents a new addition to Taiwan’s arsenal.

The Pentagon announced that the company received a firm, fixed-price contract to supply the NASAMS units, with the work expected to be finished by February 2031.

"Fiscal 2026 foreign military sales [Taiwan] funds in the amount of $698,948,760 were obligated," the Pentagon said in a Monday statement.

Raymond Greene, the de facto US ambassador in Taipei, said at an American Chamber of Commerce event on Tuesday that Washington’s commitment to Taiwan is steadfast now and will continue to be so in the future.

Greene said the US shows its commitment to Taiwan by boosting defenses and expanding defense-industry cooperation to support the island’s peace strategy.

On Thursday, the US approved a $330 million fighter jet and aircraft parts sale to Taiwan, prompting thanks from Taipei and criticism from Beijing amid rising tensions over Taiwan with Tokyo.

NASAMS is a medium-range air defense system by Norway’s Kongsberg and US contractor RTX [formerly Raytheon], designed to detect and neutralize aircraft, drones, and cruise missiles.

Building on its technical capabilities, NASAMS gained global attention in Ukraine for intercepting Russian missiles, with its proven reliability and modular design making it adaptable for diverse military environments.

Considering its battlefield success and versatility, NASAMS is strategically vital for Taiwan, providing crucial air defense against potential Chinese missile attacks to protect infrastructure, command centers, and population hubs.