Pentagon Sent Taiwan Faulty Armaments, Inspector General Finds

The US provided Taiwan with “unserviceable and poorly packaged equipment,” hampering security cooperation at a time when China is flexing its muscle in the Pacific and risking loss of confidence in America as an ally, the Pentagon’s Inspector General has found.

The inspector general evaluated the delivery of defense equipment to Taiwan through a process known as Presidential Drawdown Authority under which the US military can send equipment and weapons from existing stocks.

Taiwan’s been fending off China’s increased military activity around the island. The US considers Taiwan a crucial partner in the Indo-Pacific region as well as the chief supplier of semiconductors vital to the global economy and defense manufacturing.

President Joe Biden in July 2023 authorized as much as $345 million in defense articles and services to Taiwan.

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“The DoD did not effectively or efficiently implement accountability and quality controls for items delivered to Taiwan using the Presidential Drawdown Authority,” the IG reported Sept. 11. “More than 340 pallets of items sustained water damage while they remained at the aerial port of embarkation at Travis Air Force Base for three months pending a flight to Taiwan.”

The watchdog concluded that happened because the Army didn’t request the first special airlift assignment mission flight for these items until almost two months after items were sent to the aerial port of embarkation. The port also lacked sufficient storage capacity leading to exposure to bad weather, the IG said.

In December 2023, the Defense Department delivered to Taiwan 120 of the 340 water damaged pallets, which contained wet and moldy body armor. Taiwan also received 2.7 million rounds of ammunition, including some that was expired, in a mix of original, loose, and incorrect packaging, according to the report.

Taiwanese authorities had to spend weeks unpacking, drying, and inventorying the wet and moldy equipment, the report said.

“More broadly, the delivery of non‑mission-capable items inhibit the DoD’s ability to achieve established security cooperation goals and may lead to loss of partner confidence in the United States,” the watchdog said in the report.