Taiwan to Purchase $100 Billion Worth of U.S. Patriot Missiles

Taiwan Military Representative Office in the U.S. and American Institute in Taiwan Signed Purchase Agreement Last Month

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Taiwan will purchase $2.52 billion TWD (approximately 109.5 billion KRW) worth of Patriot missiles from the United States.

According to Taiwan media including Central News Agency on the 12th, the purchase contract signed last month between the Taiwan military delegation in the U.S. and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) includes the deployment of the U.S. Patriot missile air defense system in Taiwan over four and a half years until December 2026. The Taiwan Ministry of National Defense stated, "The currently operated Patriot 2 (PAC2) surface-to-air missiles will be upgraded to the latest Patriot 3 (PAC3) level to enhance air defense capabilities."

Earlier, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency under the U.S. Department of Defense said in April that the U.S. State Department approved the sale of Patriot air defense systems to Taiwan worth up to $95 million USD (approximately 115.8 billion KRW).

China opposed U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan and conducted military blockade exercises around Taiwan from the 4th to the 7th, continuing military demonstrations against Taiwan. Taiwan is also pushing to increase its defense budget for next year by 4.09% compared to this year, aiming for a record high of 382.6 billion TWD (approximately 16.6 trillion KRW).