Taiwan Debuts First Missile Built With US Arms Partner
Taiwan has unveiled its first missile developed with a US defense company and planned for local production, highlighting closer ties with Washington amid rising China tensions.
The government-owned National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), Taiwan’s top arms manufacturer, has displayed a new land-mobile missile based on the Barracuda-500, a low-cost, self-guided missile designed with California-based Anduril Industries.
“The entire supply chain of the missile will be in Taiwan,” CNN quoted NCSIST President Li Shih-chiang as saying. He also noted that the institute plans to sign contracts and agreements with American and Canadian companies.
The missile, capable of striking targets on land or at sea, is expected to cost about $216,000 per unit, with production planned to begin within 18 months. NCSIST has not disclosed its range.
“Should hostilities break out, should we face blockade, we are not like Ukraine…All our resilience must be built upon this island,” Li said, according to a separate report from Reuters.
Alongside the Barracuda-based warhead, NCSIST also showed prototypes of an underwater drone and an autonomous underwater mine, both developed with Anduril.
Earlier this year, Taiwan announced it would raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2030, up from 3.3 percent next year, while seeking broader international support.
Recent Defense Projects
Before unveiling its Barracuda-based missile, Taiwan strengthened its defense capabilities in August with drones, missiles, and unmanned vessels, reflecting closer ties with the US.
Anduril Industries delivered the first batch of Altius loitering munitions under a 2024 foreign military sale. NCSIST also signed an agreement with the company to acquire a command-and-control system along with unmanned aerial systems embedded with AI-powered software.
Meanwhile, Taiwan plans to produce 1,320 Kuai Chi attack uncrewed surface vessels over five years for its navy, marine corps, and army special operations command.
Taipei is also reclassifying small drones as “consumables” to speed deployment, while drone training has been integrated into an eight-week program at nine military academies.
In August, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense revealed it is preparing a special budget of $20 billion to $30 billion to fund missiles, drones, uncrewed vessels, and upgraded command platforms, marking its fourth special budget planned for 2026.
