Taiwan's 2027 defense budget increase
GeopoliticsComments
But didn't they adapt surprisingly fast... maybe the nightmare is actually just a steep learning curve that they overcame in a few months? I am curious if that speed of adaptation is the real lesson here...
16 percent is barely above the average inflation rate for defense hardware over the last three years.
It is not about the percentage, it is about the signal. Taiwan is basically forcing the US to keep its checkbook open by showing they are willing to pay their own way first.
We saw this with the initial Western aid to Ukraine. The result was a logistical nightmare of mismatched ammunition and incompatible radio frequencies.
The reports specify a shift toward sea-mine capabilities and drone swarms. This suggests a move away from traditional prestige platforms toward a porcupine strategy.
If we consider the rapid acquisition of legacy systems to fill immediate gaps, the risk of interoperability issues increases. A rushed timeline often leads to fragmented command and control systems that cannot talk to each other during a crisis.
Could the focus on asymmetric systems actually make integration easier since they are often more modular? I wonder if that simplifies the command and control challenge.