For years, US defence personnel in Taiwan have generally operated in less visible roles, including hundreds of military instructors focused on tactical training and officials working through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT). The Pentagon now plans to send one official from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Policy and one expert from the Institute for Defence Analyses to Taiwan’s defence ministry headquarters in Taipei on a long-term basis.
The two representatives would work directly with Taiwan’s defence ministry, instead of through the AIT. They would assist policy coordination and assessments of combat capability under an expanded programme called the ‘Taiwan-US Defence Ministry Joint Cooperation Assessment’.
The plan would give the US representatives a role in overall defence planning, Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang war games and assessments of major weapons procurement programmes. They would also be able to take part directly in defence discussions on weapons procurement.
The programme would run from this year to 2028 and carry a total budget of more than NT$471 million (US$14.8 million). NT$152.5 million is budgeted for this year for US personnel and consultancy costs, travel, research equipment, data collection and interpreting for classified-level meetings.
Interpreting for those classified-level meetings is separately budgeted, pointing to direct discussions between US and Taiwan officials on sensitive security matters.
Taiwan’s defence ministry did not confirm details of the reported arrangement. On Sunday, it said Taipei and Washington were continuing to deepen military exchanges in order to strengthen the armed forces’ overall defence capabilities and resilience.
Wang Ting-yu, a legislator from Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party, called the reported plan a “major upgrade” in military cooperation on Monday. He said: “This means US personnel will directly enter the core of Taiwan’s defence policymaking establishment, assisting with policy coordination and assessments of combat capabilities.”
Ma Wen-chun, a legislator from the main opposition Kuomintang party, questioned the rise in spending. She said the programme’s annual budget had increased more than twelvefold compared with earlier years, adding: “Supporting Taiwan-US military exchanges and cooperation, and supporting national defence, does not mean the budget can be allowed to grow without restraint.”
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy formulates national security and defence strategy. The Institute for Defense Analyses is a defence think tank that uses data analysis and mathematical modelling for complex defence simulations and operational assessments.
The proposed arrangement would shift cooperation from tactical training towards higher-level strategic planning and wargaming. It would also require tighter rules for sharing classified information, confidentiality procedures and cybersecurity protections.
The Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit has already placed a liaison officer at the AIT to help integrate Taiwan’s drone and technology supply chains.
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