The announcement is the second major arms sale to Taiwan under the current administration of President Donald Trump and comes at a time when Beijing has intensified both military drills and diplomatic efforts aimed at asserting its sovereignty claims over the island, which Taiwan firmly rejects.
According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the proposed package includes eight major items such as HIMARS rocket systems, howitzers, Javelin anti tank missiles, Altius loitering munition drones, and spare parts for other defence equipment.
In a statement, the ministry said the move reflects Washington’s continued support for Taiwan’s self defence. It added that the United States is helping Taiwan rapidly build deterrent power and strengthen its asymmetric warfare capabilities, which it described as essential for maintaining peace and stability in the region.
The arms package has now entered the Congressional notification phase, during which the US Congress can review, block or modify the sale. Taiwanese officials said the deal enjoys broad bipartisan support in Washington.
In separate statements detailing the deal, the Pentagon said the sales serve US national, economic and security interests by supporting Taiwan’s efforts to modernise its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability.
Under encouragement from Washington, Taiwan has been reshaping its military doctrine to focus on asymmetric warfare. This strategy relies on mobile, smaller and often less costly weapons systems, including drones and precision strike capabilities, designed to counter a much larger adversary.
Taiwan presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo said the island would continue defence reforms and strengthen society wide resilience. She thanked the United States for the support, saying Taiwan was determined to defend itself and safeguard peace through strength.
Last month, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te announced a $40 billion supplementary defence budget covering the period from 2026 to 2033, stressing that there was no room for compromise on national security.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest arms sale.
Rupert Hammond Chambers, president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, said weapons such as HIMARS, which have been widely used by Ukraine against Russian forces, could play a crucial role in stopping a potential Chinese invasion.
He said the record scale of the package reflects both the growing threat from China and Washington’s expectation that its partners and allies take greater responsibility for their own defence.
