The U.S.' National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 authorizes the U.S. military to keep a stockpile of military weapons and ammunition in Taiwan. National Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng confirmed that Taiwan and the U.S. are currently discussing this issue and said this course of action will only be taken during critical situations.
The Taiwan Strait situation remains grim. The U.S. military keeps stockpiles of military weapons and ammunition in South Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. The U.S. Congress has passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, which authorizes the U.S. military to keep a stockpile of military weapons and ammunition in Taiwan. National Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng confirmed that Taiwan and the U.S. are currently discussing this issue. On March 7, he explained further that this course of action will only be taken during critical situations.
Chiu Kuo-cheng, National Defense Minister: “The National Defense Authorization Act speaks of taking this course of action during critical situations. Right now, we are still evaluating and discussing this issue. I stress the word discussing to avoid alarmist talk like how much ammunition is becoming in.”
KMT Legislator Johnny Chiang said this type of preventative measure shows that the U.S. is strengthening its strategic deployment in the Asia-Pacific and East Asia regions and indicates that there is a higher chance of other countries in the region getting involved should anything occur across the Taiwan Strait.
Johnny Chiang, Legislator (KMT): “If a cross-Strait conflict breaks out, we may have some difficulties in replenishing military supplies, especially ammunition. That's why they need to be stored here.”
Liu Shyh-fang, Legislator (DPP): “I think storing spare parts or other necessary ammunition or related equipment is a very good measure and plan that should have already been done.”
If the U.S. stores ammunition in Taiwan, will it only be for the use of the U.S., or will the U.S. share it with Taiwan? Scholars say the ammunition may primarily be precision missiles, including AIM-120 missiles for F-16 fighters that Taiwan has already purchased from the U.S., as well as ammunition and spare parts that are compatible with the weapons and equipment used by the military. If a conflict breaks out, the U.S. military can immediately equip fighters and naval vessels and enter the battlefield to defend Taiwan.
Su Tzu-yun, Director, Div. of Defense Strategy & Resources, INSDR: “There may be Harpoon anti-ship missiles and even howitzers, 115mm artillery and 120mm artillery used by M1 tanks, in the stockpile.”
These types of weapons and ammunition will have to be stored in caverns or underground facilities that can withstand explosions. Scholars say the U.S. may use financial aid to create a new ammunition dump or lease an existing site from the military.
台海局勢動盪，美國原先在南韓、日本、菲律賓都有儲備彈藥，美國國會通過2023年國防授權法，也授權美軍能將彈藥存放在台灣，引發關注，國防部長邱國正證實台美雙方正在洽談，7日做出進一步說明，表示危急情況才會這樣做。
國防部長邱國正表示：「國防授權法裡面有講到，危急的狀況下會有這種動作，但是我們現在還在評估還在研議。我常常講研議，不要我們現在已經要多少彈藥要進來，沒有那麼樣的危言聳聽。」
美軍是否將東亞的儲備彈藥改放台灣，目前還沒定案，但朝野立委高度關切。國民黨立委江啟臣表示，這項預防性作為代表美軍在亞太地區、東亞地區強化戰略部署，也突顯出若台海有事，周邊其他國家介入的可能性提高。
國民黨立委江啟臣指出：「兩岸衝突的時候，我們在一些軍需品的運補，特別是彈藥的這些運補上面，或許有它的一些困難度，所以必須先存放在這邊。」
民進黨立委劉世芳提及：「有若干這些備品或是其他有需要的這個彈藥，或者是相關的設施設備，我覺得這是一個本來就應該有相當好的配套措施跟方案。」
至於美方在台存放彈藥，是專屬美軍使用還是台美共用？學者分析，可能以美國海空軍精準飛彈為主，包括已售台，F-16戰機使用的AIM-120飛彈等，還有與國軍武器裝備相容的彈藥、零附件，一旦台海爆發戰事，美軍即刻著輕裝搭乘戰機、船艦，迅速投入戰場協防台灣。
國防安全研究院戰略與資源研究所長蘇紫雲認為：「還有就是魚叉反艦飛彈，那甚至包括榴彈砲，也就是115公厘的這個彈藥，還有就是M1戰車主砲、120公厘彈藥，都可能是會預先儲存的這些物資。」
這些武器彈藥必須存放在具備抗炸能力的山洞或地下儲存庫，蘇紫雲表示，美軍可能透過金融援助打造新的彈藥庫，或是向國軍租用現有場地，都是可行的作為。
