U.S. fortifies Taiwan with a permanent military presence and advanced weapons
While American soldiers have had a presence in Taiwan for some time, it's the first instance where the U.S. has decided to organize a mission identified as permanent from the outset officially. Reports from early February highlighted that around 100-200 American 1st Special Forces Group soldiers, specialized in Pacific operations, will now be stationed in Taiwan. This group includes Green Berets, which is tasked with training Taiwanese special forces and facilitating programs on using Black Hornet Nano drones.
These Black Hornet Nano drones are minuscule, unmanned aerial devices designed like micro helicopters. Despite their modest size, they can stay airborne for up to an hour and cover distances up to 1.24 miles. They are equipped with capabilities such as GPS for autonomous operation, cameras, and thermal imaging technology.
The U.S. military mission in Taiwan holds both symbolic and practical importance, signaling Washington's commitment to defending Taiwan. The island itself is actively seeking to bolster its military capabilities. However, China views the sale of arms to Taiwan as an act of hostility, complicating Taipei's efforts to modernize its defenses with a mix of domestic products and equipment primarily from the U.S., some of which are also used by other countries like Poland.
Taiwan has also mirrored Poland in adopting American rocket artillery, ordering 29 launchers of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), with deliveries expected to start in 2024. Despite initial desires for fewer launchers and additional self-propelled howitzers, a compromise led to Taiwan receiving more launchers more swiftly, including ATACMS ballistic missiles capable of reaching at least 186 miles.
Taiwan aims to upgrade its armored capabilities for ground forces by replacing over 400 outdated M60 tanks with 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks, a variant parallelly produced for Poland. This is part of a broader effort to modernize, also seen in the procurement of 400 Harpoon anti-ship missiles to enhance coastal defense against potential invasions.
In aerial defense, the acquisition of 66 F-16V aircraft is a significant upgrade, with plans to improve existing F-16A/B models to the advanced F-16V standard. These new aircraft are equipped to counteract the rapidly advancing Chinese military aviation, including fifth-generation J-20 aircraft.
