Press Release:
The US-Taiwan Business Council Comments on the Proposed Foreign Military Sales of NASAMS and Radar Turnkey Systems to Taiwan

(Arlington, Virginia, October 28, 2024)

The US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) today welcomed the announcement of two possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Taiwan of 3 National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) Medium-range Air Defense Solutions as well as AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 Radar Turnkey Systems and related equipment at an estimated total cost of US$1.988 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) delivered the required certifications notifying Congress of the two proposed Taiwan arms sales on October 25, 2024.

The first published Congressional Notification (transmittal number 24-48) includes 3 NASAMS medium-range air defense solutions with 3 AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radar systems, 123 AMRAAM-ER, 2 AMRAAM-C8 guidance sections, and 4 Multifunctional Information Distribution Systems (MIDS). Also included are myriad additional equipment, spare parts, consumables, accessories, software, documentation, etc. The second published Congressional Notification (transmittal number 24-57) includes AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 radar turnkey systems, spare and repair parts, consumables and accessories, related equipment and training, as well as U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics and program support.

USTBC President Rupert Hammond-Chambers commented, “This is an important development, and both the Biden and Lai Administrations should be commended for consummating these programs. The sale of AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 radars – along with three NASAMS 3 batteries and 123 AMRAMM-ERs – serve as a significant step forward in the modernization of Taiwan’s air-defense architecture. After 3+ years of modest sustainment and munitions sales, these two FMS cases represent a significant broadening of the Biden Administration’s approach to the defense of Taiwan. This should allow for greater consideration of all the military threats posed to Taiwan, not just those involving a kinetic attack.”

Hammond-Chambers added, “The radars will improve air, maritime, and missile surveillance around the island, allowing Taiwan to better track threats posed by the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) grey zone activities. They will improve the actionable intelligence of the Taiwan military, and their mobility improves survivability and effectiveness in combat. The NSASMS batteries will be integrated into an island-wide air defense architecture that also includes Patriot-III and Taiwan’s indigenous Tien Kung system, and the AMRAMM-ERs provide extended coverage. The sale of NASAMS place added focus on the Taiwan Air Force to further procure deep magazines of AMRAMM-ERs, AMRAMMs, and AIM-9Xs to ensure that the Taiwan NASAMS and F-16 fighters have the supplies needed for a potential conflict.”

Source: See the DSCA website at https://www.dsca.mil/press-media/major-arms-sales

Additional Data:

For more details on Taiwan arms sales, please visit our dedicated defense website at www.ustaiwandefense.com. The post “Taiwan Arms Sales Notified to Congress 1990-2024” contains charts showing a summary of arms sales data by year as of this most recent sale, along with a link to the raw data compiled by the Council from DSCA and other sources.