Raytheon has received a firm-fixed-price contract valued at $698.9 million to produce National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) fire units for Taiwan. The U.S. Department of War confirmed the award, which was issued through the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal. The deal forms part of a larger Foreign Military Sales (FMS) package aimed at bolstering Taiwan’s integrated air defense network amid heightened Chinese military pressure, including increased aerial incursions and growing threats from cruise missiles and unmanned systems. The contract underscores Washington’s ongoing commitment to ensuring Taipei maintains the capability to defend key military installations and strategic assets.
NASAMS, developed collaboratively by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of Norway and Raytheon, is a short- to medium-range, ground-based air defense system designed to counter a wide spectrum of airborne threats. It can engage aircraft, helicopters, drones, and cruise missiles using the AIM-120 AMRAAM, a widely deployed interceptor also used by Western fighter jets. This commonality simplifies logistics, improves sustainment, and enables shared munitions across air and ground forces operating in the region.
A standard NASAMS fire unit includes several canister launchers, an AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel 3D radar, electro-optical tracking sensors, and a networked Fire Distribution Center (FDC). Modern variants—NASAMS 2 and NASAMS 3—feature upgraded tactical data links such as Link 16, improved command-and-control resilience, and expanded interceptor options. These include the AMRAAM-ER for extended range and the AIM-9X for agile, short-range engagements. The architecture allows sensors and launchers to be widely dispersed, increasing survivability while enabling engagements at greater distances and altitudes.
