Taiwan is getting plenty of missiles and drones from the US. A top business leader says the arsenal is out of balance.

"The US has sent Taiwan a growing number of asymmetric weapons intended to help deter and defeat a potential Chinese invasion. Taiwan needs a more balanced arsenal of systems to counter other conflict scenarios, such as a sustained blockade, the president of the US-Taiwan Business Council recently argued. Asymmetric warfare, which relies on large numbers of relatively inexpensive, mobile, and difficult-to-target systemslike drones, missiles, and dispersed units, offers Taiwan an advantage against the military might of China."

"At a Hudson Institute think tank event earlier this month, Rupert Hammond-Chambers, the president of the US-Taiwan Business Council, described the state of US military aid to Taiwan as out of balance. Hammond-Chambers said that US arms sales have "swung from one extreme" - the weapons deals years ago for MQ-9 Reaper drones, M1A2 Abrams tanks, and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jets - "to the other extreme where we're only doing asymmetric," a shift he warned leaves potential vulnerabilities."

"US sales and support for Taiwan have increasingly asymmetric and survivable systems. Some argue Taiwan needs to find the right balance of weapons to counter a wider range of Chinese tactics. The quickest way to bolster local defense manufacturing is to license foreign designs and produce them domestically, a former official said. The US has sent Taiwan a growing number of asymmetric weapons intended to help deter and defeat a potential Chinese invasion."

US military support for Taiwan has shifted toward large quantities of asymmetric, survivable systems such as drones, missiles, and dispersed units. Taiwan still requires conventional capabilities to sustain operations, defend sea lanes, and maintain air and missile defense over time, particularly to counter blockade scenarios. Recent arms sales emphasize missiles, drones, command-and-control upgrades, ammunition, software, and spare parts rather than high-profile platforms. That shift creates potential vulnerabilities for prolonged conflict. Expanding domestic defense production through licensing of foreign designs is identified as the quickest way to bolster local manufacturing capacity.

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