DEFENSE / Taiwan to receive 1st Harpoon missile defense systems around New Year

Taipei, Oct. 20 (CNA) Taiwan is expected to receive its first shipment of the Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) it purchased from the United States at the turn of the year, allowing the planned "littoral combatant command" to achieve critical capability, Navy Chief of Staff Chiu Chun-jung (邱俊榮) said Monday.

At a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, lawmaker Chen Chun-yu (陳俊宇) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party asked whether Taiwan will receive the first batch of 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems and 400 RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II surface-launched anti-ship missiles it purchased in time for the scheduled official launch of the "littoral combatant command" on Jan. 1, 2026.

The Navy's Hai Feng Shore-Based Anti-ship Missile Group has taken delivery of five launcher trucks and a radar truck that will be used in conjunction with the Harpoon missiles, Chen noted.

The littoral combatant command is to be established on Jan. 1, 2026, and its force generation is expected to take effect in July 2026, Chiu said.

To meet that timeline, the Navy will accept delivery of the first shipment of Harpoon equipment in line with the planned handover and acceptance schedule at the end of this year or the start of next year so the command can reach initial critical capability, he said.

Asked by Chen whether unmanned aerial and surface vehicles will be integrated into the littoral combatant command, Chiu said both systems will be employed in the command's layered coastal strike and interdiction missions, with project planning having already started.

The U.S. announced in 2020 that it would sell Taiwan up to 100 HCDS and related equipment. The package, valued at US$2.37 billion, includes up to 400 RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II Surface Launched Missiles, 4 RTM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II Exercise Missiles, 411 containers, 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense System Launcher Transporter Units, 25 radar trucks, spare and repair parts, and other elements of personnel, documentation, engineering, technical and logistics support.

Taiwan's armed forces also operate the Harpoon family in multiple variants, including the AGM-84 air-launched, RGM-84 ship-launched, UGM-84 submarine-launched and ground-based versions.