The ministry’s Department of Strategic Planning has requested that the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency push back the deadline, but there did not seem to be much flexibility on the date, Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Szu-chien (徐斯儉) said yesterday. A High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is displayed at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition on Sept. 17 last year. Hsu did not disclose what percentage of that amount would have to be paid in the first installment. President William Lai, center, listens to a briefing during an inspection of the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday. Photo courtesy of the Presidential OfficeThe Cabinet, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party submitted their own special defense budget proposals to cover US-approved arms sales, including the HIMARS, due to disagreement over the budget’s scope.

Source: Taipei Times March 27, 2026 17:14 UTC