Iran War Drains US Arsenal, Delays Taiwan and Japan Arms — SkimNews
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- Taiwan received four conflicting explanations—from Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and President Trump—for delays in a $14 billion package of Patriot PAC-3 interceptors and NASAMS air defense systems, with none providing a delivery date
- Japan was informed that delivery of 400 long-awaited Tomahawk cruise missiles would be delayed two years to meet drawdown demands from the Iran war, placing it behind Ukraine and Iran resupply in the queue
- The US Army shot nearly 1,500 Patriot interceptors during the Iran war and requested 2,700 interceptors in the next fiscal budget—a jump from the 357 previously funded—with Taiwan's order of 102 interceptors and Japan's needs lumped into that larger figure
- AUKUS was retooled in May after the United States realized it could not produce new submarines for Australia, forcing Canberra to accept in-service Virginia-class boats instead
- Hadrian invested over $1.5 billion in private capital before receiving a roughly $900 million Navy contract, opening a 2.2 million-square-foot Factory 4 in Cherokee, Alabama to produce parts for Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines
- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries produces about 30 PAC-3 interceptors per year under license in Japan, with potential to double output, and exported its first domestically manufactured PAC-3 interceptors to the United States in November, though Boeing seeker production lines won't be operational until 2027
Why it matters: Tamkang University's Chen Yi-fan estimates that even if bidding opened immediately, a Patriot system would still take four to five years to reach Taiwan—precisely the window US and Taiwanese planners consider a potential crisis period, while Beijing can read the Pentagon's fiscal budget and production contracts to gauge whether the US can sustain a multi-theater fight in the Indo-Pacific.
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