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The presence of U.S. defense trainers in Taiwan, a quietly expanding aspect of unofficial relations, underscores the delicate and increasingly fraught security situation in the Indo-Pacific. As Beijing’s rhetoric and military pressure on the self-governing island intensify, the role of these American personnel in bolstering Taiwan's defense capabilities has come under renewed scrutiny, highlighted by stark warnings and calls for increased support in recent congressional testimonies.
Taiwan, a democratic island of 23 million people, exists under the constant shadow of potential Chinese invasion. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province that must be "reunified" with the mainland, by force if necessary. This claim dates back to the Chinese Civil War in 1949 when the defeated Nationalists fled to Taiwan. While the U.S. officially acknowledges Beijing's "One China" policy, which states there is only one China, it also maintains robust, albeit unofficial, ties with Taiwan under the framework of the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. This act obligates Washington to provide Taiwan with the means to defend itself and to consider any non-peaceful effort to determine Taiwan's future a threat to regional peace and security.
In recent years, China has significantly ramped up its military activities around Taiwan, including near-daily air incursions into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, naval patrols, and large-scale military exercises simulating attacks on the island. These actions are widely seen as an attempt to intimidate Taiwan, wear down its defenses, and signal Beijing's resolve to both Taipei and Washington. The U.S., in turn, has increased its naval presence in the Taiwan Strait and augmented its support for Taiwan's military modernization.
A key, and until recently, less publicized component of this support has been the deployment of U.S. defense trainers. These personnel, comprising active-duty troops, reservists, and civilian contractors, work with Taiwanese forces to improve their operational readiness, familiarize them with U.S.-supplied weaponry, and help them develop a more resilient "porcupine" defense strategy designed to make any potential Chinese invasion incredibly costly.
The true scale of this training mission was brought into sharp focus during a May 15, 2025, hearing before the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, now Senior Director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, provided a candid assessment of the situation.
"We absolutely have to grow the joint training team in Taiwan," Montgomery testified. He revealed that the current U.S. training contingent is significantly larger than previously understood. "That's a U.S. team there that's about 500 people now. It needs to be a thousand," he urged lawmakers. Montgomery’s rationale was clear: "If we are going to give them billions of dollars in assistance, sell them tens of billions of dollars' worth of U.S. gear, it makes sense that we would be over there training and working."
He further emphasized the need for sustained U.S. engagement to develop a credible deterrent force on the island. "It's going to take US engagement and involvement in this to get them to the point where they really have a true counter-intervention force," Montgomery stated, pointing out that the Taiwan Enhanced Resilience Act directs the Department of Defense to train Taiwan's forces, a rollout he described as having been "gently… slow."
Montgomery also advocated for Taiwan to significantly increase its own defense investment, suggesting a target of 5% of its GDP. He argued that this level of spending would be sufficient for "siege-proofing" the island, acquiring necessary systems, and ensuring military readiness. He noted that historically, 5% of GDP is an achievable military spending level for democracies facing significant threats.
Echoing the importance of hands-on training, retired U.S. Army Pacific Commanding General Charles Flynn, another witness at the hearing, used the example of Harpoon anti-ship missile systems. "We can give them 400 Harpoon systems, but they, if they don't have 400 crews that actually know how to man them, use them, employ them, site them and have a primary, alternate and supplementary firing position. It doesn't matter how many things they have," Flynn explained. He stressed that U.S. military training would help Taiwanese troops understand how to implement defense in depth, which is "the key value we bring as a training unit.” Flynn also observed positive developments in Taiwan's indigenous weapons production and political and military will over the past few years, stating, "We have momentum, and we can ill afford to lose the momentum."
Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, also present at the hearing, broadened the perspective, reminding the committee of America's overarching role. "I think it is critical that you focus on what Taiwan needs to do and how we need to support Taiwan, remember that we are the ultimate backstop, and we must keep our capabilities shifting more of our capacity to the Indo Pacific, recognizing that this is where the ultimate challenge to American power is in the 21st century," Campbell asserted.
The presence and potential expansion of U.S. defense trainers in Taiwan represent a careful calibration by Washington. It aims to bolster Taiwan's defenses sufficiently to deter Chinese aggression without overtly crossing Beijing's perceived red lines that could trigger a conflict. However, Beijing vehemently opposes any official U.S. military presence or activities on the island, viewing them as a violation of its sovereignty and an encouragement of Taiwanese independence - a red line for the Communist Party.
The disclosures and recommendations made during the congressional hearing underscore a growing sense of urgency in Washington regarding Taiwan's security. As China's military capabilities and assertiveness continue to grow, the role of these U.S. trainers, though numerically small relative to the forces in the region, is seen as increasingly vital in helping Taiwan prepare for a potential existential threat, thereby contributing to the deterrence of a conflict with potentially catastrophic global consequences. The quiet work of these trainers on the ground is a tangible manifestation of America's complex and evolving commitment to a democratic partner in an increasingly volatile part of the world.
