Taiwan is planning to acquire nine additional National Advanced Surface‑to‑Air Missile Systems to strengthen its air defense network.
Taiwan is planning to acquire nine additional National Advanced Surface‑to‑Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) to strengthen its air defense network, according to Taiwan News.
The systems are expected to be deployed around key radar sites and Taiwanese Air Force installations.
Under a previous procurement, three NASAMS units will be deployed as part of the T-Dome initiative, a high-tech, layered air defense network designed to enhance detection and interception capabilities across the island.
The potential expanded acquisition supports Taipei’s broader strategy of reinforcing low- and medium-altitude air defenses around key strategic locations.
Soldiers from the Air Defense Battalion at Evenes load a NASAMS launcher with an AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM missile during Exercise Silver Arrow at Nordmela in June 2024. Photo: Ella Hagen/Norwegian Defenss Materiel AgencyNASAMS for Taiwan
Jointly developed by Kongsberg and Raytheon, the NASAMS is an air defense system capable of engaging up to 72 targets simultaneously, including drones, helicopters, and cruise missiles.
Each NASAMS battery includes AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 radars and can fire a range of interceptors, from the AIM-9X Sidewinder to the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the extended-range AMRAAM-ER, to counter a variety of aerial threats.
Its radar and launcher components can be spread across large areas, even more than 20 kilometers (32 miles) from the fire direction center, providing wide coverage with relatively few elements, while making the system harder to target with enemy air or ground attacks.
In November last year, the US Department of Defense awarded Raytheon a $698.9-million contract to deliver NASAMS fire units to Taiwan.
Production will take place in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, with completion expected by February 2031.
In 2024, Washington approved a broader $1.9-billion defense package for Taipei, covering air defense systems and long-range surveillance radars, including the NASAMS as well as AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 radar platforms.
