The US Department of Defense Inspector General released a report pointing out that the Department of Defense delivered “unusable” military equipment to Taiwan, including damp and moldy bulletproof vests. The Pentagon stated on the 12th that any future operations related to Taiwan will take into account the experience of this incident and actions have been taken to improve the process.
President Biden first utilized the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) in July 2023 to provide Taiwan with defense supplies. The US Department of Defense Inspector General evaluated the defense equipment delivered to Taiwan under the same procedure.
According to the assessment report released on the 11th, the US Department of Defense delivered damp and moldy bulletproof vests to Taiwan at the end of 2023, as well as expired and loosely packaged ammunition.
Regarding any plans for improvement in the future, Pentagon spokesperson Major Pete Nguyen replied to the Central News Agency via email, expressing gratitude for the perspectives raised in the report as it involves an important security partner and deals with complex and unique issues. It is expected to have a positive and proactive impact on the future development of the Department of Defense.
He pointed out that the US Department of Defense fully supports the intentions behind the Inspector General’s recommendations. Taiwan is an important security partner, and the US government is committed to ensuring that the equipment delivered to Taiwan is sufficient for operational use.
Major Nguyen stated that the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) of the US Department of Defense had previously informed the Inspector General’s office that any future measures related to the Presidential Drawdown Authority for Taiwan would draw on the experience of this incident, and actions have been taken to improve relevant processes for Taiwan. The primary mission of the Department of Defense remains to maintain peace and security in the Taiwan Strait.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency, responsible for arms sales and other business, operates under the US Department of Defense.
Under the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the US military can deliver existing inventory of weapons and equipment. The report by the US Department of Defense Inspector General pointed out that the Department of Defense did not effectively implement accountability and quality control measures for the items delivered to Taiwan this time.
“More than 340 pieces of cargo remained on pallets at Travis Air Force Base for three months, exposed to rain while awaiting flights to Taiwan.”
The US Department of Defense Inspector General concluded that this situation occurred because the Army requested its first special airlift mission flight for these supplies nearly two months after they arrived at the boarding point. The Inspector General stated that the base had insufficient storage capacity, leading to damage from adverse weather conditions.
According to the report, in December 2023, the US Department of Defense shipped 120 of the rain-affected cargo pallets out of the 340 to Taiwan, containing damp and moldy bulletproof vests. Taiwan also received 2.7 million rounds of ammunition, including some expired, loosely packaged, and improperly packed items.
The report noted that Taiwan had to spend several weeks disassembling, drying, and inventorying the damp and moldy equipment.
The US Department of Defense Inspector General stated in the report, “In a broader sense, delivering military equipment that cannot fulfill mission capabilities will limit the Department of Defense’s ability to achieve its security cooperation objectives and may lead to partners losing confidence in the US.”
The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China stated that the delivery of military aid items and their conditions have been jointly reviewed and addressed by both Taiwan and the US.
(From Central News Agency)