In May, Taiwan was offered no less than four different explanations for the delays in receiving a $14 billion arms package of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors and NASAMS air defense systems.
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao testified to senators that the United States was “doing a pause” on the arms sale to Taiwan “in order to make sure we have the munitions we need for Epic Fury,” the U.S. military operation in Iran. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio then claimed that the sale was under review, not “paused.” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said it wasn’t about Iran at all: “our stockpiles are more than suited… both there [in Iran] and around the globe.” Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said the arms sales were “a very good negotiating chip” with China, suggesting a purely political motivation for the delay.
Beyond the problem of conflicting explanations, none of these statements provided the answer Taipei really wants: a delivery date.
Taiwan is not alone in waiting for promised U.S. weapons. The U.S. government informed Japan that delivery of 400 long-awaited Tomahawk cruise missiles would be delayed two years to meet drawdown demands from the current war in Iran.
The problem is obvious: the U.S. has finite supplies of these missiles, and a growing need. Taiwan and Japan are queuing up, in the same line, behind Ukraine and behind resupplies for the Iran war.
