Taiwan has announced that its newly purchased, cutting-edge, battle-proven National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) will be deployed in North Taiwan to protect the capital, Taipei.
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) stated that the country will deploy the new surface-to-air missile systems that it ordered from the United States in Taipei’s Songshan District and New Taipei’s Tamsui District to protect the capital against aerial attacks, Taiwan News reported.
Taiwan recently signed a major arms deal with the United States, reportedly worth NT$10.31 billion (approximately US$312.9 million), to acquire the NASAMS. The deal is expected to last till 2034 and will strengthen Taiwan’s air defense amid increased threats from China. The deal stipulates that a radar system will also be purchased and set up at strategic points in Kaohsiung, Hualien, Miaoli, and New Taipei.
These arms purchases are meant to enhance Taiwan’s combat capability and fortify its defenses. Beijing considers Taiwan its sovereign territory and has vowed to occupy it with force if necessary. In fact, China frequently conducts military drills and live-fire exercises to test Taiwan’s defenses.
The United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency approved the sale of NASAMS to Taiwan in October last year. The island state is expected to receive three National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS), along with supporting equipment.
While approving the sale of NASAMS to Taiwan last year, the DSCA said in a statement: “The proposed sale will improve the recipient’s capability to meet current and future threats by contributing to the recipient’s abilities to defend its airspace, provide regional security, and increase interoperability with the United States through its NASAMS program.”
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The NASAMS will augment Taiwan’s current air defense systems, which include the land-based Tien Chien II (Sky Sword II), the Tien Kung (Sky Bow) missile families, and the Patriot (PAC-3) missiles, by offering medium-altitude interception capability. It will provide a critical layer of air defense coverage to the capital, the island state’s most protected bastion and home to the Presidential Office.
The NASAMS is a critical point defense asset and is even used by the US to protect the sensitive airspace around the White House and the US Capitol in Washington.
Notably, Taiwan’s decision to purchase the NASAMS was influenced by the system’s performance in Ukraine. It views the air defense system as a promising counter to Chinese fighter bombers, drones, and land-attack cruise and ballistic missiles.
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According to US authorities, the system, developed by Norway’s Kongsberg and the United States’ Raytheon, has a 100% success rate in intercepting Russian missiles.
Russia frequently bombards civilian and military targets in Kyiv with volleys of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones such as the Kh-101, Iskander, Kalibr, and Geranium-2 kamikaze drones. The platform uses the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) in a SAM role.
With warnings about Taiwan becoming “another Ukraine,” Taipei has been seeking the same weapons the West armed Kyiv with: the Patriot Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), the Stingers, Abrams tanks, etc.
-NASAMS To Boost Taiwan’s Air Defense
The NASAMS is a point defense system that is intended to thwart drone, helicopter, cruise missile, and aircraft attacks on high-value targets. NASAMS can engage targets up to 20 miles away and at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 50,000 feet when equipped with regular AMRAAMs.
The NASAMS is a self-contained system that combines radar, launchers, and a fire control center, allowing company-sized forces to operate the system effectively.
The system sports advanced features like a net-centric design, numerous simultaneous engagements, and beyond-visual-range (BVR) capabilities.
The system can be incorporated into a bigger integrated air defense system (IADS) comprising several sensors and weaponry. It is particularly helpful for Taiwan and its specific needs concerning the Chinese threat.
The system can launch modern air defense missiles, such as the short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, the long-range AMRAAM-ER, and the US AIM-120 modern Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.
With a range of more than 50 kilometers, the AMRAAM-ER may intercept and eliminate hostile aircraft or cruise missiles at supersonic speeds before they get close. In addition, it can also accommodate European IRIS-T SLS short-range missiles.
NASAMS’s main weaponry consists of the same AIM-120 AMRAAMs that Taiwan’s F-16s are armed with. These missiles do not have to come in a particular variant or undergo modifications to be launched from a NASAMS battery.
The Republic of China Air Force’s (Taiwan’s Air Force) F-16 fighters’ current missile stock can be used to provide NASAMS with “effectors” (missiles) directly.
So, if China invades Taiwan, the NASAMS could be equipped with a huge worldwide supply of AMRAAMs to sustain the high-intensity battle.
NASAMS could assist in defending against land-attack cruise missiles fired from ground-based launchers, bombers, submarines, and surface combatants. China could use all of these in an attempt to destroy Taiwanese air bases and other vital military installations located around the island. NASAMS is designed to neutralize these attacks.
At the core of the system is its X-Band, 360-degree phased array radar, which has a target identification range of 75 kilometers (approximately 47 miles). This advanced radar system allows NASAMS to simultaneously engage up to 72 targets in both active and passive modes. Using active seeker missiles, it can intercept targets beyond visual range, showcasing its effectiveness in various combat scenarios.
Depending on the model, NASAMS’s modular architecture enables the use of many radars, sensors, and launchers in a single battery, all connected to a central fire distribution center.
