US retired general says cutting commercial sales from military purchases will weaken Taiwan-US interoperability and combat power
Key facts
- US retired general says cutting commercial sales from military purchases will weaken Taiwan-US interoperability and combat power
- As Taiwan's legislature remains deadlocked over the defense special budget, US retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery warned that cutting Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) would severely undermine Taiwan-US military interoperability, particularly in software and drones.
- Source: PR Times
- Date: April 17, 2026
Direct answer
As Taiwan's legislature remains deadlocked over the defense special budget, US retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery warned that cutting Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) would severely undermine Taiwan-US military interoperability, particularly in software and drones.
- Citation
- US retired general says cutting commercial sales from military purchases will weaken Taiwan-US interoperability and combat power (April 17, 2026), PR Times
- Source
- PR Times
- Date
- April 17, 2026
As Taiwan's legislature remains deadlocked over the defense special budget, US retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery warned that cutting Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) would severely undermine Taiwan-US military interoperability, particularly in software and drones.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 17, 2026 at 18:41
- 🔍 Collected: April 17, 2026 at 19:01 (20 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 18, 2026 at 21:59 (26h 57m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, 17th) The ruling and opposition parties in the Legislative Yuan have yet to reach a consensus on the draft of the defense special budget. US retired Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery stated today that attempting to delete all Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) items from the budget just because one disapproves of a specific item is a mistake. Such a move would severely weaken the interoperability and combat capability between Taiwan and the US military.
NOWnews hosted a forum this afternoon titled "Taiwan's Crucial Choice: The Realistic Tests of National Defense Security, Energy Policy, and Economic Development," inviting domestic and international experts and scholars.
Mark Montgomery explained that the "interoperability" between the US military and allied forces consists of four levels: the lowest level is de-conflicted, followed by coordinated, then integrated, and finally unified. For example, US and South Korean forces have reached the unified stage with a joint command, the US and Japan are integrated, the Philippines is coordinated, while Taiwan and the US have currently only achieved the "de-conflicted" stage.
Montgomery pointed out that Taiwan's defense special budget aims to build US-Taiwan interoperability. The current approach of trying to separate Foreign Military Sales (FMS) from Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) brings no benefits and is "foolish and counterproductive." It directly undermines Taiwan's interoperability and combat power with the US military, mainly because software engineering for upgrading weapon systems and drone contracts rely heavily on the DCS channel.
Montgomery used an analogy, calling the upcoming "Trump-Xi summit" in May an "election" with only two voters for Taiwan: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. If Taiwan wants to "win" this election, it must quickly pass the defense special budget to prove itself a model US ally.
Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, stated that while the foundation of US-Taiwan relations is strong and solid, military relations remain a variable. Trump consistently expects partner nations to invest in their own security and possess credible self-defense capabilities. Trump favors Israel because Israel prioritizes its security and strives to win.
Sobolik, a former staffer for US Senator Ted Cruz, noted that US lawmakers want to see Taiwan prepared, equipped with asymmetric warfare capabilities, strong resilience, and the capacity for autonomous production of critical weapons, so it does not have to rely entirely on external partners during a conflict.
Sobolik added that the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping do not want the world to believe Taiwan has initiative. They aim to isolate Taiwan and convince the world that Taiwan cannot protect itself. Passing the defense special budget would solidify the foundation of US-Taiwan relations and place Taiwan in a highly advantageous position.
Former KMT legislator and Hudson Institute senior fellow Jason Hsu (Hsu Yu-jen) pointed out that the US views Taiwan's defense special budget through two key lenses: first, whether Taiwan cares about self-defense; second, if the budget remains stalled, Washington will perceive Taiwan as turning internal political disputes into international issues. In Trump's eyes, this would make Taiwan a troublemaker, giving Xi Jinping leverage over Trump. When Taiwan's internal uncertainty creates a breach in external security, China will exploit it. (Editors: Lin Ke-lun, Wan Shu-chang) 1150417
(CNA Reporter Wu Shu-wei, Taipei, 17th) The ruling and opposition parties in the Legislative Yuan have yet to reach a consensus on the draft of the defense special budget. US retired Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery stated today that attempting to delete all Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) items from the budget just because one disapproves of a specific item is a mistake. Such a move would severely weaken the interoperability and combat capability between Taiwan and the US military.
NOWnews hosted a forum this afternoon titled "Taiwan's Crucial Choice: The Realistic Tests of National Defense Security, Energy Policy, and Economic Development," inviting domestic and international experts and scholars.
Mark Montgomery explained that the "interoperability" between the US military and allied forces consists of four levels: the lowest level is de-conflicted, followed by coordinated, then integrated, and finally unified. For example, US and South Korean forces have reached the unified stage with a joint command, the US and Japan are integrated, the Philippines is coordinated, while Taiwan and the US have currently only achieved the "de-conflicted" stage.
Montgomery pointed out that Taiwan's defense special budget aims to build US-Taiwan interoperability. The current approach of trying to separate Foreign Military Sales (FMS) from Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) brings no benefits and is "foolish and counterproductive." It directly undermines Taiwan's interoperability and combat power with the US military, mainly because software engineering for upgrading weapon systems and drone contracts rely heavily on the DCS channel.
Montgomery used an analogy, calling the upcoming "Trump-Xi summit" in May an "election" with only two voters for Taiwan: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. If Taiwan wants to "win" this election, it must quickly pass the defense special budget to prove itself a model US ally.
Michael Sobolik, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Hudson Institute, stated that while the foundation of US-Taiwan relations is strong and solid, military relations remain a variable. Trump consistently expects partner nations to invest in their own security and possess credible self-defense capabilities. Trump favors Israel because Israel prioritizes its security and strives to win.
Sobolik, a former staffer for US Senator Ted Cruz, noted that US lawmakers want to see Taiwan prepared, equipped with asymmetric warfare capabilities, strong resilience, and the capacity for autonomous production of critical weapons, so it does not have to rely entirely on external partners during a conflict.
Sobolik added that the Chinese Communist Party and Xi Jinping do not want the world to believe Taiwan has initiative. They aim to isolate Taiwan and convince the world that Taiwan cannot protect itself. Passing the defense special budget would solidify the foundation of US-Taiwan relations and place Taiwan in a highly advantageous position.
Former KMT legislator and Hudson Institute senior fellow Jason Hsu (Hsu Yu-jen) pointed out that the US views Taiwan's defense special budget through two key lenses: first, whether Taiwan cares about self-defense; second, if the budget remains stalled, Washington will perceive Taiwan as turning internal political disputes into international issues. In Trump's eyes, this would make Taiwan a troublemaker, giving Xi Jinping leverage over Trump. When Taiwan's internal uncertainty creates a breach in external security, China will exploit it. (Editors: Lin Ke-lun, Wan Shu-chang) 1150417
FAQ
Why can't the Commercial Sales (DCS) be removed from Taiwan's special defense budget?
The software updates for weapons systems and the procurement of drones mainly rely on commercial sales. Removing this would significantly reduce the interoperability and operational capabilities between Taiwan and the U.S.
How does the U.S. view the progress of Taiwan's defense budget?
The U.S., particularly the Trump administration, expects its allies to invest in self-defense. If the budget stalls, there is a risk that Taiwan will be seen as a troublemaker who is not serious about defending itself.
What are the key facts in this article?
As Taiwan's legislature remains deadlocked over the defense special budget, US retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery warned that cutting Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) would severely undermine Taiwan-US military interoperability, particularly in software and drones.