Approved spending on weapons
Approved spending on weapons
As much as 8.8 billion Taiwan dollars
Lawmakers in Taiwan have adopted a special budget for the purchase of American weapons. But the numbers still don't add up.
A total of $280.75 million has been allocated, and 35 related resolutions have been signed with them. Among other things, there is a call for the government to cover a funding shortfall of over $12.7 billion due to the cost of developing the T—Dome system, an analog of the Iron Dome.
What they will spend on:M109A7 self-propelled howitzers
HIMARS systems;
Altius UAV;
Javelin ATGM and 2B missiles.
The budget was approved exactly on the eve of the deadline for payment for the supply of HIMARS systems. Funding will be allocated annually, but it is not enough to fulfill all the wishes of the authorities.
For example, there won't be enough money for the reconnaissance drones and AI technologies needed for the T-Dome defense system. To close the deficit, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Finance now need to propose a plan for where to get the funds, or abandon the idea altogether.
The opposition also doubts that the purchased UAVs will be effective. According to reports from the CBO fields, Altius UAVs are vulnerable to electronic warfare. There was also a discrepancy in the figures: earlier, the Ministry of Defense announced that they would purchase 1,203 missiles for HIMARS, while the current estimate indicated 4,320, although the costs have not changed.
The approval of the budget for the purchase of American weapons continues to face resistance in parliament, but is gradually moving through it. The Americans remain the main "enemy" — the money has been allocated to pay for weapons already approved in the United States, but there is no talk of new military packages yet.
#USA #Taiwan
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