America Sends NASAMS Shield To Taiwan As China Tests Nerves Across Western Pacific Skies

Tension around Taiwan is rising as Chinese ships and aircraft keep appearing near the island and close to Japan’s islands. Beijing claims Taiwan as its own and runs frequent military drills. Tokyo is also worried after Chinese drones and coast guard ships came close to its territory. In this tense setting, Washington wants Taiwan to survive a first wave of air and missile strikes. The answer is to strengthen Taiwan’s air shield from the ground up. NASAMS is now the latest piece in that survival plan. 

How Big Is This Contract?

The Pentagon has given Raytheon a firm contract worth about six hundred ninety nine million dollars. This money will pay for NASAMS “fire units” that Taiwan has already ordered earlier. The systems will be built in Tewksbury in the United States and delivered over several years. The work is planned to finish by the end of February twenty thirty one, so this is a long term project, not a quick emergency shipment. The deal is part of a larger foreign military sales package approved earlier for Taiwan. It shows that America is locking in support for Taiwan’s air defense for the next decade. 

What Can NASAMS Actually Do?

NASAMS is a ground based system that fires surface to air missiles at incoming threats. It is designed to hit enemy fighter jets, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones before they reach key targets. The launchers can be moved by road, so the system does not sit fixed in one place. That makes it harder for an enemy to hunt down and destroy. In Ukraine, NASAMS batteries have helped shoot down Russian cruise missiles and drones attacking cities. Their performance there made many governments pay attention to this system. Taiwan now wants the same shield over its bases, cities and radar sites. 

How Will It Shield Taiwan?

Taiwan already uses older air defense systems, including its own missiles and American made Patriot batteries. NASAMS will sit between the short range and long range layers to fill the gaps. The new fire units will link with at least two modern radar systems and command centers. Together they can track targets far away and share that picture across the network. When many missiles or drones come at once, different NASAMS launchers can fire from different places. This spreads out the risk and makes it harder for China to knock everything out in one strike. Step by step, Taiwan is building a true multi layered air defense wall.   

What Makes The System Different?

NASAMS was developed jointly by Norway’s Kongsberg Defence and America’s Raytheon, so it mixes European and US technology. Instead of using just one kind of missile, the launchers can fire different Western missiles depending on the mission. Standard missiles give solid medium range cover, while newer extended range missiles can reach closer to fifty kilometers or more. A typical launcher carries canisters that together can hold about a dozen missiles ready to fire. Powerful 3D radars can spot targets more than one hundred kilometers away and guide interceptors onto them. The system also has strong protection against electronic jamming, which is common in modern warfare. 

Why Does China Feel Pressured?

Beijing always protests when Washington sells weapons to Taipei and calls it interference in its internal affairs. But from Taiwan’s view, these deals are about basic survival if a conflict starts. Each new NASAMS battery means China must plan for more defended airspace. It must spend more time and money to find, jam or destroy extra radars and launchers. The system has already proven itself in Ukraine, so Chinese planners cannot ignore it. The deal also tells the region that America is ready to keep arming Taiwan even when China is unhappy. For Japan and other neighbors, that is a clear signal of US commitment.  

What Comes Next For Defense?

For now, the focus will be on building, shipping and installing the NASAMS units in Taiwan. Taiwanese crews will have to train hard to operate the radars, launchers and command systems smoothly. Over time, the island can plug NASAMS data into its wider air defense network. That will link them with fighters, older missile systems and local sensors spread across the coast. If this integration works well, Taiwan’s skies will become much more dangerous for any attacker. The NASAMS contract is therefore not just about buying hardware. It is about changing how Taiwan plans to fight in the air from the first minute of any crisis.