Taiwan is buying expensive US weapons systems, but are they the right ones?

South China Morning Post

by Lawrence Chung

February 28, 2026

Taiwan is buying expensive US weapons systems, but are they the right ones?

Taiwan’s procurement of three US arms packages has come under renewed scrutiny, with military experts now questioning their effectiveness in deterring Beijing. The debate has sharpened after opposition parties repeatedly blocked a proposed NT$1.25 trillion (US$40 billion) special defence budget in the legislature’s procedure committee last month. At the centre of the latest criticism are three US-approved systems for Taiwan: the Patriot PAC-3 missile defence system and its upgrades, the National...

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Originally published on South China Morning Post on 2/28/2026