The United States government has authorized the potential sale of new M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzers to equip the Taiwanese Army. This follows one of the most recent notifications submitted by the U.S. Department of State to the U.S. Congress, seeking approval for the package under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, valued at more than US$4 billion.
In recent months, Taiwan’s plans to modernize its long-range strike and fire support capabilities have reached new milestones, most notably with the arrival of the first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) units. However, as noted by Taiwanese government officials, these plans also include the renewal of tracked self-propelled artillery vehicles, aiming to replace and/or complement the current M109A2 and M109A5 systems, which have accumulated decades of service.
For these reasons, several options and proposals have been considered in the past, including the authorization granted years ago by the Biden administration for the sale of 40 M109A6 systems, which ultimately did not materialize.
Nevertheless, the Taiwanese government has continued to express its interest in renewing this segment of capabilities within the Armed Forces defending the island, as reflected in its request to purchase the most modern variant currently in service within the M109 family, designated M109A7 and produced by BAE Systems.
According to reporting by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Taiwanese government requested the purchase from the United States of forty (40) new M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, along with a significant package of support vehicles intended to perform ammunition resupply and recovery roles.
The package, valued at more than US$4 billion, includes—beyond the M109A7 howitzers themselves—the provision of sixty (60) M992A3 ammunition resupply vehicles, as well as thirteen (13) M88A2 recovery vehicles. It also includes the sale of up to 4,080 guidance kits—presumably M1156—to equip 155 mm projectiles, in addition to Integrated Fires Tactical Data System (IFATDS) artillery command-and-control systems.
However, unlike other similar authorizations, neither the Department of State nor the DSCA has announced the company that will serve as the principal contractor for the package intended for Taiwan. In this regard, it was noted that the decision will be made through a competitive bidding process conducted by the U.S. government, in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
Finally, the Department of State stated: “This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient country’s ongoing efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability. The proposed sale will contribute to improving the recipient country’s security and help maintain political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region.”
It added: “The proposed sale will enhance the recipient country’s ability to address current and future threats by strengthening the self-defense capabilities of its forces. The recipient country will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and associated services into its armed forces.”
Photographs used for illustrative purposes.
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