TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Defense Minister Wellington Li-hsiung Koo (顧立雄) announced on Wednesday (Nov. 13) that the Ministry of National Defense (MND, 國防部) is concentrating on four areas, including asymmetric warfare capabilities, to procure weapons that align with the military's operational needs.
This strategic focus emerges amid discussions in the Legislative Yuan (立法院) on the 2025 defense budget, ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's second term. The MND disclosed that next year's U.S. arms purchases are budgeted at over NT$70.5 billion, with no plans to acquire new weapons.
According to a Financial Times report, however, Taiwan has proposed a NT$500 billion (US$15 billion) arms deal with the U.S. The proposal includes a wish list of 60 F-35 Lightning II jets, 10 retired Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, four E-2D Hawkeye aircraft, and 400 MIM-104 Patriot missiles.
https://www.ft.com/content/7b218d0f-31dc-4b74-b993-797388767b85
Koo emphasized Taiwan's ongoing military dialogue with the Trump administration to secure essential weaponry. He noted that the focus is on building asymmetric warfare capabilities, enhancing operational resilience, improving reserve forces, and effectively responding to gray zone threats.
Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an assistant professor at Tamkang University's (淡江大學) Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies (國際事務與戰略研究所), underscored the importance of carefully considering the integration of these weapons into existing systems.