Pentagon expected to place representatives at Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense — Taipei Times
The Pentagon is expected to place two representatives at the headquarters of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense as part of a joint program. The program, worth NT$470 million, or US$14.77 million, is to run from 2026 to 2028, Taipei Times reports, citing an unnamed senior military official.
Representatives from two institutions
According to sources, one representative each is to be sent by the US Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Institute for Defense Analyses. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is one of the US bodies responsible for shaping national security and defense strategy. It is to help coordinate policy between Taipei and Washington.
The Institute for Defense Analyses is a defense think tank that uses data analysis and mathematical modeling for complex defense simulations and operational assessments. According to the publication’s interlocutors, the new arrangement will bring US specialists closer to Taiwan’s defense policy-making process and enable them to assist with policy coordination and assessments of combat capabilities.
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Working directly with the ministry
Hundreds of US military instructors are already in Taiwan, helping train military personnel. At the same time, US military personnel and civilian defense officials work in the security and technical offices of the American Institute in Taiwan, where they are responsible for coordinating arms sales and logistical cooperation.
The new arrangement differs, according to sources, in that US representatives will work directly with the Taiwanese ministry rather than through the American Institute in Taiwan. This could allow them to take part in discussions of overall defense planning, asymmetric warfare tactics, consultations during the Han Kuang exercises, and assessments of major arms procurements. Sources also noted that such cooperation would require stricter mechanisms for sharing classified information, confidentiality procedures, and cyber protection.
