Taiwan is set to receive the first batch of 200 Javelin anti-tank missiles from the US in the second half of 2023, according to a report by the country’s national news agency CNA, citing a military source.
According to the source, another batch of 200 Javelin systems will be handed over to the Taiwanese armed forces “at some point in 2024.”
Taipei plans to use the weapons against topless landing craft and light-armored landing vehicles from China in case of an invasion.
The Taiwanese defense ministry clarified that the missiles will be produced in the US amid rumors that they would be built domestically.
The island nation’s procurement of Javelins was first announced by the US government in 2019 under a $2-billion deal that includes M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks and TOW anti-tank missiles.
The Javelin Missile
The Taiwanese military already has around 1,000 Javelin missiles, most of them the third-generation variant.
According to Taiwanese government researcher Su Tzu-yun, the weapon has a fire-and-forget capability that allows it to hit enemy assets without the launcher being in line-of-sight of its target.
It is also capable of penetrating armor up to 800 millimeters thick.
Additionally, the missile has a “top-attack” profile that enables it to climb above its target and strike a vehicle’s where its armor is weakest.
It is unclear if the Javelins delivered to Taiwan will be a more advanced variant.
