US Approves $11.1 Billion Arms Package to Taiwan

The United States approved an $11.1 billion arms package to Taiwan on Wednesday, marking the largest such sale in history and underscoring Washington's commitment to the island's defense amid escalating tensions with China.

The package, notified to Congress for review, includes eight major items designed to enhance Taiwan's asymmetric warfare capabilities. Key components comprise 82 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, valued at more than $4 billion; 60 M109A7 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment, also exceeding $4 billion; Altius loitering munitions drones worth over $1 billion; Javelin and TOW anti-tank missiles valued at more than $700 million; and additional items such as military software, helicopter spare parts, and Harpoon missile refurbishment kits. Taiwan's defense ministry described the systems as providing "strong deterrence and asymmetric combat advantages," while the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that the sale supports U.S. national, economic, and security interests by aiding Taiwan's efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive posture.