US and Taiwanese officials are alarmed at the status of the US military and its ability to fight a future conflict with China.
According to three sources speaking with The Washington Post, officials at Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACCOM) have expressed frustration with the dwindling military resources available to deter China.
One official said 30 warships were taken from INDOPACCOM’s area of command and moved to the Middle East. This includes the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, leaving East Asia without a carrier.
“It’s clear that they’re paying a big price, especially on the Navy side of things,” the official explained.
The US has also used a significant number of the munitions it would need in a conflict with China during the war against Iran. Multiple leaks and studies have revealed the US used a substantial amount of its stockpile of THAAD, Patriot, SM-6, SM-3, Tomahawk, JASSM, PrSM, and ATACMS missiles.
A Taiwanese official told The Post Taipei that it expects “significant delays” in the delivery of Patriot interceptors and described the backlog as “troubling.”
The official expressed frustration that Washington expects Taipei to keep buying American weapons even as delivery delays increase. “The situation is very challenging,” they said.
President Donald Trump has also held up arms transfers to Taiwan in an effort to maintain his relationship with China. Trump is planning to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping next month in Washington.
Beijing suggested that if Washington approved additional arms sales to Taipei, Xi would call off the upcoming summit. One Chinese official said any signals that the White House will approve the package would “severely undermine” further potential visits.
