{"id":33360,"date":"2023-02-24T17:45:16","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T17:45:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/02\/24\/slow-arms-deliveries-to-taiwan-blamed-on-us-production-bottlenecks\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:40:32","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:40:32","slug":"slow-arms-deliveries-to-taiwan-blamed-on-us-production-bottlenecks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/federaltimes\/govcon\/2023\/02\/24\/slow-arms-deliveries-to-taiwan-blamed-on-us-production-bottlenecks\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow arms deliveries to Taiwan blamed on US production bottlenecks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 The U.S. defense industry\u2019s limited production capacity is responsible for delays in U.S. arms sales to Taiwan<\/a>, which now stand at almost $19 billion in value, a senior U.S. State Department official said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow I would characterize it is that we have provided really significant foreign military sales to Taiwan, and that there are challenges on the production side,\u201d Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Jessica Lewis<\/a> told reporters Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The comments came as U.S. lawmakers from both parties returning from a Taiwan visit are pressuring the Biden administration about the lag in deliveries on U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, aimed at helping deter China from invading<\/a>. Beijing views Taiwan as a Chinese territory that must be brought under its control, by force if necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defense industrial base is facing \u201cacross the board\u201d challenges that aren\u2019t specific to Taiwan, Lewis said. Supply chain and worker constraints in the wake of the COVID pandemic are hindering the industry\u2019s ability to meet increased demand for weapons as countries arm themselves in the wake of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur defense industrial base right now is very focused \u2015 and we are encouraging them to be focused \u2015 on how to produce more of the key weapons that are needed in all of these places for across the world, to make sure that we can get for example, Taiwan \u2015 but not just Taiwan, eastern flank countries \u2015 what they need in time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defense Department has relevant legal authorities and Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks<\/a> is leading efforts to address the matter, according to Lewis.<\/p>\n\n\n\t