Taiwan says US drone orders not impacted by Middle East war
The Straits Times
The United States is Taiwan's main source of weapons. Read more at straitstimes.com.
TAIPEI - An order for four advanced US-made MQ-9B "SkyGuardian" drones is on track and hasn't been affected by the war in the Middle East, Taiwan's air force said on March 10.
The air force said in a statement that the order for the drones, made by General Atomics and designed for surveillance and target acquisition, is proceeding according to schedule. It has previously said it expects delivery of the first two later this year.
The US and Israeli attack on Iran, on top of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and Israel's military operations in Gaza, has seen the US draw down billions of dollars' worth of weapons stockpiles.
The United States is Taiwan's main source of weapons, and Taipei has repeatedly complained of delivery delays due to snarled supply chains dating back to the Covid-19 pandemic, including of F-16V fighter jets.
"Deliveries have not been affected by the fighting in the Middle East," the air force statement said.
"The military remains in close contact with the US side to ensure progress stays on track and to effectively strengthen overall national defence capabilities."
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