TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of National Defense says the second batch of HIMARS ordered from the US will arrive in 2026, completing the full order for multiple rocket launchers one year ahead of schedule. 

According to the latest briefing submitted by the MND to the Legislative Yuan, Taiwan has 18 US arms procurement projects, per CNA. Among these, two are delayed, one is ahead of schedule, and 15 are progressing as planned.

The MND said the delivery of AGM-154C Block III C Joint Standoff Weapons has been delayed from 2023 to 2026 due to US defense industry production capacity constraints and the testing of new munitions. 

Also slow to arrive are 66 F-16V Block 70 fighter jets originally slated to be delivered to Taiwan in 2023. However, supply chain problems caused by the pandemic and software issues caused delays. 

The ministry said the first batch of F-16Vs have completed airframe assembly and are undergoing ground system testing. A rollout ceremony is planned for the end of March, and the full order of 66 F-16Vs is expected to be delivered to Taiwan by the end of 2026.

The project ahead of schedule is classified as a "long-range precision strike system," involving the procurement of 29 HIMARS units, 84 Army Tactical Missile Systems, and 864 precision rockets. The first batch of 11 HIMARS systems was delivered last year. 

The second batch of 18 HIMARS, originally scheduled for 2027, is now expected to arrive in 2026.

Regarding projects progressing on schedule, the MND reported that 15 projects, including the Harpoon Coastal Defense System, are proceeding as planned. Among them, the initial batch of 38 M1A2T Abrams tanks was delivered on Dec. 15, while the procurement of fuel tankers for the military has been completed, with all 74 vehicles delivered.