The US is considering allowing Taiwan to locally assemble and produce Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to cater to Taipei’s expanded requirements.
Taiwan plans an additional procurement of 1,985 Stingers from the US amid mounting tensions with China.
According to Liberty Times, a team of US officials is planning to visit Taiwan’s National Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology next year to assess the government-owned facility’s capabilities to produce the weapon.
The assessment would include the institute’s technical, production, and cyber security capabilities.
If the institute meets US certification standards, production could begin in Taiwan as early as 2026, Taiwan News wrote, citing a source.
Stinger Missile
Raytheon’s man-portable Stinger missile has a range of 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) and is capable of striking low-flying targets up to an altitude of 12,500 feet (3,810 meters).
Taiwan ordered 500 Stinger missiles in 2019: 250 each for its army and navy, with delivery expected by 2025.
Rising tensions in the Taiwan Straits, however, have prompted the self-governing territory to plan a further increase in the missile’s procurement.
It also plans to procure 549 launch systems and 549 identification friend-or-foe transponders.
The missile delivery is expected to be in batches through 2031, with a procurement cost estimated to be around 55.54 billion New Taiwan dollars ($1.73 billion).