US Confirms Sale of Air Defense Missile System to Taiwan

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Nov 20, 2025 - 10:55 Updated: Nov 20, 2025 - 10:48
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US Confirms Sale of Air Defense Missile System to Taiwan

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The Pentagon has confirmed the sale of an advanced surface-to-air missile system to Taiwan, marking the second U.S. weapons package in a week and bringing the total value to $1 billion.

In a Nov. 17 contract announcement, the Pentagon said U.S.-based aerospace and defense company RTX was given a firm fixed-price contract for procurement of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) medium-range air defense solutions.

“Fiscal 2026 Foreign Military Sales (Taiwan) funds in the amount of $698,948,760 were obligated at the time of the award,” the Pentagon said in its announcement.

It said that RTX, formerly Raytheon, would complete its work in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, with a scheduled completion date on Feb. 28, 2031.

The Army’s contracting services command at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama is responsible for awarding and overseeing the contract, the Pentagon said.

NASAMS, which Ukrainian forces have deployed in their defense against the Russian invasion, is designed to counter drone, missile, and aircraft threats.

Australia and Indonesia are the only countries in the Indo-Pacific that operate NASAMS.

Taiwan’s intention to purchase NASAMS was first announced in October 2024, when the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) reported that the United States had approved a potential arms sale valued at about $1.16 billion. The deal would include three NASAMS air-defense solutions.

“The proposed sale will improve the recipient’s capability to meet current and future threats by contributing to the recipient’s abilities to defend its airspace, provide regional security, and increase interoperability with the United States through its NASAMS program,” the DSCA said at the time about the potential arms deal.

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A U.S.-made F-16V fighter jet taxis on the runway at an air force base during Taiwan's annual Han Kuang military drills in Hualien on July 23, 2024. Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images
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On Nov. 14, the DSCA announced a proposed $330 million arms sale to Taiwan, the first such deal since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. The package includes aircraft spare and repair parts intended to maintain the “operational readiness” of Taiwan’s military aircraft fleet, including its F-16s.

On Nov. 17, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, responded to the proposed $300 million U.S. arms sale to Taiwan by accusing the United States of committing a “despicable act” that interfered in “China’s internal affairs.”

On the following day, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) issued a statement criticizing Zhang’s remarks, saying that China was attempting to “obstruct normal security cooperation between Taiwan and the United States.”

“MOFA reiterates that the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign and independent state and that neither the ROC (Taiwan) nor the People’s Republic of China is subordinate to the other,” the ministry said.

Taiwan is facing growing military pressure from China, which considers the self-governing island a breakaway province that it seeks to bring under control eventually, possibly by force.

The United States has long been Taiwan’s primary arms supplier for its self-defense, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations.

Raymond Greene, the de facto U.S. ambassador to Taiwan, reiterated the U.S. commitment to Taiwan at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan.

“It should be clear today and will remain clear into the future that America’s commitments to Taiwan are rock solid,” Greene said in a speech at the event.

“We are backing these words with actions, with a focus on supporting Taiwan’s efforts to achieve peace through strength. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our growing defense industrial cooperation.”

The Pentagon’s announcement comes amid a worsening diplomatic crisis between Beijing and Tokyo, after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at a parliamentary meeting earlier this month that a Chinese military attack against Taiwan would constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for her country.
On Nov. 16, China sent its coast guard vessels through the waters of the uninhabited Senkaku Islands, which are controlled by Japan but claimed by China.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Wellington Koo addressed the tension between Beijing and Tokyo on Nov. 19, saying that China should not resort to force in order to resolve disputes.

“China should abandon its thinking of using force to resolve things,” Koo told reporters.

Reuters contributed to this report.
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