Taiwan refuses mis-specified US gear in T-11 parachute deal and warns it may file a claim

Taiwan's defence ministry has refused to accept part of a US arms sale meant to give its army a new generation of personnel parachutes, after two of the items failed to meet its specifications, according to a ministry report to the Legislative Yuan cited by the Liberty Times and Storm Media on Saturday. The ministry said it has asked Washington to supply compliant equipment by the end of July 2027 and could file a compensation claim if that does not happen.

The army's airborne parachute programme covers five types of equipment totalling 4,842 pieces, built around the T-11 parachute used by the US Army. According to the report, samples supplied by the US side on 5 May 2025 showed that two kinds of equipment bags did not match the Taiwanese military's requirements. The two items were a general-purpose equipment bag and an individual weapon case.

Letters, talks and a 2027 deadline

The ministry said it first asked the US for a modification plan through programme management meetings. On 28 October 2025, Taiwan's representative office in the United States delivered a formal letter stating that the military would not take delivery of equipment bags built to the wrong specification, and talks continued through the American Institute in Taiwan.

A US programme management team visited Taiwan on 17 April 2026 to discuss the problem, and the US side attributed it to a manufacturer's error, the ministry said. Under the terms of the letter of offer and acceptance, Taiwan has required the US to deliver equipment that matches its specifications by the end of July 2027. The issue was also put on the agenda of this year's army talks with the US, and a formal letter sent on 10 April passed Taiwan's concerns to the US Army Security Assistance Command.

If compliant items still cannot be obtained, the ministry said it would open a claim against the US under the rules of the Security Assistance Management Manual, which governs foreign military sales. Storm Media reported that lawmakers had frozen NT$10 million of the programme's budget until the ministry submitted a written report and won approval to release the money.

Replacing ageing T-10B canopies

The ministry said the T-11 purchase is meant to replace the army's T-10B parachutes, which have reached the end of their maximum service life, so that special forces units can keep their airborne capability. It described the T-11 as a canopy designed for large-scale personnel drops that lowers descent speed and landing impact to reduce injuries, rather than a steerable precision parachute.

Responding to criticism of the design, the ministry said a longer hang time, limited manoeuvrability and greater drift are physical characteristics of this type of parachute rather than defects, and that with air force drop routes and ground navigation teams it can meet tactical needs. It added that the choice followed comparisons of different parachute types, unit requirements and international trends, as well as repeated testing.

The purchase has a troubled history. In 2023 the ministry denied a report that its Armaments Bureau had pressed the army to buy an older T-10D design instead, saying the army had chosen to acquire the T-11B through foreign military sales, had received the US offer letter in December 2022, and required technology transfer so that the military's 209th factory could maintain the parachutes. In June this year, United Daily News reported that the roughly NT$500 million buy had shifted from a commercial purchase to a foreign military sale and that equipment due to reach units from late 2025 had not yet been issued.