U.S. House committee approves bill with US$1 billion for Taiwan defense

Washington, June 5 (CNA) The U.S. House Armed Services Committee has approved a fiscal year 2027 defense authorization bill that includes up to US$1 billion to help Taiwan strengthen its self-defense capabilities.

After more than 14 hours of deliberations, the committee advanced its version of the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (FY27 NDAA) in a 44-12 vote on Thursday.

The bill includes the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, which aims to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities by providing funding for areas such as medical support, training and the joint development of unmanned systems with the United States, in line with the Taiwan Relations Act.

The NDAA is the annual U.S. defense policy bill. The House and Senate are required to reconcile their respective versions and pass a final measure before it can be sent to the president for signature and become law.

Meanwhile, the committee's Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee said it recognizes that resilient communications between the United States and Taiwan are essential for effective coordination during both steady-state operations and crisis scenarios.

The committee identified concerns that disruptions to communications infrastructure in a contested environment could significantly hinder Taiwan's ability to communicate with U.S. forces and partners.

It also said existing capabilities should be assessed and any gaps addressed to ensure communications can be maintained under stressed conditions.

The committee noted that it has directed the secretary of defense to submit a report to congressional defense committees by March 1, 2027, evaluating the extent to which mobile ad hoc networking and commercially derived communications systems in Taiwan support U.S. operational requirements in contested or degraded environments.