Taiwan to buy new US missiles to guard against China
- Taiwan decides to buy the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles
- Taiwan has complained of repeated incursions by China’s air force in recent months into the island’s air defence identification zone
Taiwan has complained of repeated incursions by China’s air force in recent months into the island’s air defence identification zone, as Beijing seeks to pressure Taipei into accepting its sovereignty.
Taiwan’s Air Force said it had decided to buy the Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles, with deliveries to start in 2025 and deployment the following year.
The Air Force did not disclose how many missiles Taiwan was planning to buy, citing the sensitivity of the matter.
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“These purchase plans were made based on the threat from the enemy,” an Air Force spokesman said, adding it will continue to “boost defence capacity”.
The spokesman said the Air Force is “cautiously optimistic” about the progress of the purchase.