US Senate Bill Proposes War Reserve Stockpile for Taiwan: Experts Say It Enhances Taiwan's Sustained Combat Capability

(CNA reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, May 13) The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee recently passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2027 fiscal year, which includes a provision authorizing the Department of Defense to establish a War Reserve Stockpile (WRS) program for Taiwan. Experts point out that Taiwan, surrounded by sea on all sides, may not be able to receive external supplies during wartime. The U.S. legislative branch aims to enhance Taiwan's sustained combat capability by establishing pre-positioned war reserves.

On May 11, the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the 2027 fiscal year. According to the summary of the 2027 NDAA released by the Senate Armed Services Committee, the bill authorizes the Department of Defense to establish a 'War Reserve Stockpile' program for Taiwan.

Chen Shih-min, Associate Professor at the Department of Political Science, National Taiwan University, told CNA that the threat from China toward Taiwan has always existed, and once war breaks out, no one can predict how long it will last. For example, the Russia-Ukraine war has lasted over four years, and the U.S.-Iran conflict remains unresolved. After the outbreak of war, Ukraine was able to receive support from European countries via land routes. However, Taiwan is surrounded by sea, and if China launches an attack on Taiwan, it will likely blockade the surrounding waters, cutting off Taiwan’s access to weapons and equipment. Therefore, establishing war reserve stockpiles is crucial for Taiwan. He added that the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee clearly recognizes this issue.

Chen further explained that the Russia-Ukraine war and the U.S.-Iran conflict have highlighted unmanned systems as a key factor in future warfare. To prevent Chinese forces from landing on Taiwan, destroying Chinese aircraft and naval vessels using unmanned systems is essential—this aligns with the U.S. concept of making the Taiwan Strait a 'hellscape.' However, budgets for unmanned systems and related production were removed from Taiwan’s special arms procurement budget. He expressed hope that Taiwan will promptly establish domestic drone production capacity and cooperate with the U.S. to jointly manufacture unmanned systems.

Lin Ying-you, Associate Professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies, Tamkang University, pointed out that the 2027 NDAA passed by the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee includes provisions for establishing a 'War Reserve Stockpile' for Taiwan, indicating Senate concerns about Taiwan’s ammunition reserves and defense resilience. Additionally, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee recently passed its version of the 2027 NDAA, which includes up to $1 billion in funding for the 'Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative' to assist Taiwan’s self-defense.

Lin, who recently led a student delegation to visit Washington, D.C., said this shows that both the U.S. Senate and House have Taiwan support measures, with the legislative branch pushing the executive branch to assist Taiwan in various ways. He emphasized that it's not only U.S. administration officials and experts who care about the Taiwan Strait issue—many members of Congress and their staff also pay close attention. This highlights that U.S.-Taiwan relations depend not only on executive-level interactions but also on engagement with Congress.

Regarding the importance of establishing a war reserve stockpile, Lin noted that experiences from the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East conflicts show extremely high consumption of weapons and ammunition. Moreover, recent Chinese naval activities have focused on practicing denial and isolation tactics, raising doubts about Taiwan’s ability to receive external resupply during wartime. Therefore, the U.S. initiative aims to pre-position equipment and ammunition along the First Island Chain—including Taiwan—to enhance Taiwan’s sustained combat capability. (Edited by Lin Ko-lun) 1150613