Taiwan to Buy Long-Range Missiles from the United States

Taiwan hopes to purchase the AGM-158 missile from the United States (Wikimedia Commons).

A Taiwanese defense official announced plans on April 19 to purchase long-range cruise missiles from the United States. The move aims to provide Taiwan a potential response should mainland China launch a military assault against the island. Lee Shih-chiang, head of the strategic planning department within Taiwan’s defense ministry, noted that they specifically seek the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 missile. 

The AGM-158 weighs 200 pounds and has high-precision at ranges up to 621 miles. According to Lockheed Martin, the missile system can destroy extremely secure targets of high value. Taipei’s interest in the system indicates its desire for a powerful deterrent to Beijing’s increasing militarization.

Taiwan’s announcement comes amid growing tensions between Taipei and Beijing, particularly as the United States has reaffirmed commitments to Taiwan’s security. In a show of symbolic diplomacy, President Biden invited Taiwan’s top representative to his January inauguration. A U.S. government delegation visited the island last week to further cement Washington’s support.

In response to the American visit, China conducted military exercises through Taiwanese airspace. Such exercises have begun increasing in frequency; in 2020 alone, Beijing flew 320 warplanes through Taiwan’s airspace. 

According to Richard Bush, a senior fellow of the Brookings Institute, Beijing aims to threaten Taiwanese stability, demonstrate military superiority, and cast Taiwan’s future in doubt. 

China claims that Taiwan is part of its sovereign territory and has not ruled out military intervention to enforce this claim. Experts have suggested that the probability of military action, though, has grown. Beijing has expressly stated interest in regaining control of Taiwan. In a recent speech, Wang Yang, a high-ranking Politburo member, said “time and trends” favor reunification under the Chinese banner.

Although Taiwan’s past military junctures have focused on defense, it appears the country now looks to bolster its offensive military capacity to effectively carry out potential counterattacks. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said the government needs to begin an “asymmetrical” approach to fight Chinese militarization.

Taiwan’s new approach includes developing a broad coalition of allies sympathetic to its military efforts. The United States, the main arms supplier to Taiwan, has worked on an effort to counter Chinese military dominance dubbed “Fortress Taiwan.”

Beijing will likely continue increasing military activity within Taiwan’s territory, and thus Taipei will continue to search for new methods to enforce its sovereignty. This may put countries that maintain formal and informal relations with the People’s Republic of China and the self-governing island in a difficult position.