TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Navy has signed a deal with the U.S. worth NT$3.06 billion (US$107 million) to provide an uninterrupted supply of ammunition for the next nine years.
The government on Friday (Nov. 6) announced the agreement was to make 18 purchases to ensure the Navy had a steady supply of naval ammunition. This would include naval guns and the Phalanx Close-in Weapon System (CIWS).
According to information published by the Government e-Procurement System, the R.O.C. Defense Mission to the U.S.A., and the American Institute in Taiwan, the agreement took effect on Oct. 20 and will last through the end of September 2029.
It will enable the Navy to meet its ammunition needs for the next nine years. Liberty Times cited a military official as saying the items will include traditional naval weapons but exclude precision ordnance such as torpedoes and missiles.
Depending on the configuration, Taiwan's warships come equipped with 76 mm naval guns, Bofors 40 mm L/70 guns, the MK-15 Phalanx CIWS, Anti-Submarine Rockets (ASROC), and the Mark 36 Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures Chaff and Decoy Launching System (SRBOC).
As live-fire exercises require large amounts of ammunition, it is necessary for the Navy to regularly purchase additional stocks in order to maintain combat readiness.