Taiwan Shifts Strong Bow Missile to Supplemental Budget to Ease Defense Spending Pressure

Taiwan has split funding for two major air-defense programs to prevent them from crowding out other defense projects in the 2027 budget.

The Strong Bow missile system, also known as the Tien Kung IV under the Strong Bow project, will be submitted under a supplemental budget for 2026. Continued small-batch production of the Tien Kung III missile will instead enter the regular defense budget for 2027.

The adjustment followed major cuts to a proposed special procurement budget. Officials decided that shifting Strong Bow to supplemental funding would reduce pressure on the regular budget while allowing Taiwan’s domestically produced air-defense systems to continue being developed.

The Tien Kung III production plan will run from 2027 through 2031 and cost NT$13.6768 billion. The small-batch approach is intended to keep the missile production line operating and spread out the risk of multiple missile components reaching the end of their service lives at the same time.

The Strong Bow program is budgeted at NT$36.13301 billion from 2027 to 2032. It calls for two Strong Bow systems and 128 missiles, with the stated aim of substantially increasing the military’s ability to intercept ballistic missiles from mainland China.

Taiwan’s proposed military investment budget for 2027 rises to NT$259.1 billion, an increase of NT$97.5 billion from 2026. But major domestic programs, including NT$27.6 billion for follow-on submarines, continue to absorb resources. The article says some purchases from the United States were consequently left out of the 2027 budget, leaving defense planners to balance domestic production against foreign procurement.