Due to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, Taiwan may be left without weapons supplies from the United States, WSJ reports.

The Pentagon said there is a shortage of resources in the defense industrial base. Taiwan has faced problems in the supply of weapons from the United States because of the long wars in Gaza and Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing defense officials.

The US actively supports both Israel in its fight against Hamas terrorists and Ukraine in its confrontation with the Russian military. The limited military-industrial base leads to a shortage of chips, equipment and skilled workers, according to the WSJ. Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bikhim emphasized during a video call with Washington that the existing US defense industrial base is not capable of meeting global demand for weapons.

Cato Institute defense analyst Erica Gomez noted that more than $20 billion worth of weapons systems have not been delivered to Taiwan due to delivery delays. Hermantes Lailari, a former U.S. military officer and fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Studies, expressed concerns that China could force Taiwan to capitulate by imposing a blockade.

If the blockade continues and the war continues, Taiwan risks running out of weapons, he said. Even under normal circumstances, the arms transfer process to Taiwan is delayed by problems with payment, production, and delivery. For example, the delivery of 66 new F-16 fighter jets approved by the Donald Trump administration in 2019 will not be completed until 2026.

The U.S. Defense Department has said it may accelerate arms sales to other countries, including Taiwan. Press Secretary John Supple emphasized that the lack of a strong defense industrial base is the main challenge in meeting the needs of Taiwan and other partners. Taiwan's concerns began to grow in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine.

In connection with this, a new military agency was created on the island to improve weapons purchases from the West and accelerate the development of its own technologies.