As part of the Keen Sword joint exercise, the US is deploying NMESIS anti-ship missile system to Japan’s Yonaguni Island — just 110 kilometers from Taiwan —after previously using the same system in the Philippines’ northern Batanes Islands. The move comes as Taiwan receives the first two of 66 F-16V fighters that it purchased from the US in 2019. Reports also suggest US military personnel could be stationed inside Taiwan’s defense ministry. Meanwhile, Beijing is pushing its own maritime claims near Batanes and Yonaguni, based on dubious historical and legal narratives. Is the First Island Chain becoming a more integrated defensive network that could effectively deny Beijing’s expansionist ambitions? In this episode, we examine the NMESIS deployment, Taiwan’s new aircraft, and what these developments could mean for deterrence and the future balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.
*Recorded on October 6, 2026 at 11am Taiwan Standard Time
Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Planner: Miguel Yang
Videographer: Celest Kao
Our guests:
David W.F. Huang
- Taiwan Heritage Foundation Executive Director
Grant Newsham
- Retired US Marine Corps Colonel
Ken Moriyasu
- Hudson Institute Senior Fellow
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