In early November, some media outlets reported a statement by Tony Hu, a Taiwanese citizen and former representative of Raytheon in Taiwan, who claimed that Taiwan had "indirectly transferred" a certain number of MIM-23 Hawk missiles to Ukraine last year. Reports suggested that Taiwan held a reserve stock of up to 900 of these anti-aircraft missiles.
Following this, on Tuesday, November 12, Forbes published an article including the claim that "Taiwan likely re-armed Ukraine’s air defense."
Read more: Spain Hands Over Its Fourth MIM-23 Hawk Air Defense System to Ukraine
In that publication, Tony Hu was referred to as a "Pentagon representative," which is clearly incorrect. Additionally, it is unclear what data supported the claim that, with potential aid from Taiwan, Ukraine could have received up to 15 MIM-23 Hawk SAM batteries—a development that would indeed considerably bolster Ukraine’s air defense.
Defense Express particularly emphasizes that in this story, it is crucial to distinguish unofficial statements, mere assumptions, and factual assessments, as these represent three different types of information that should be clearly sorted.
An unofficial statement, in this case, is Tony Hu’s remark, which is likely truthful, but with careful attention to his wording "indirectly transferred to Ukraine" (referring to MIM-23 Hawk missiles). Based on experience, the term "indirect transfer" might indicate that the removed resources weren’t sent directly to Ukraine but possibly to "third countries" that had previously provided Ukraine with similar aid.
For example, Spain stated that it supplied the Ukrainian Armed Forces with two Hawk air defense system batteries, each with six launchers. It’s likely that Spain also provided a stock of missiles, which could have been replenished via an "indirect transfer" from Taiwan. Moreover, since the Spanish Army plans to operate the MIM-23 Hawk at least until 2030, Spain likely requested additional missiles for this system from the U.S.
An assumption in this story would be the statement by Forbes that "Taiwan likely rearmed Ukraine's air defense." Here, one might debate the certainty implied, especially in light of the above example illustrating how an "indirect transfer" of anti-aircraft missiles from Taiwan could theoretically occur.
The clear factual errors appear to be the reference to Tony Hu as a "Pentagon representative" and the claim that Ukraine could have received as many as 15 MIM-23 Hawk batteries. While the nature of the first error is apparent, the basis for the figure of 15 Hawk batteries remains unclear.
Read more: Ukrainian Serviceman Tells About MIM-23 Hawk's Work Against Enemy Shahed Drones
