The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has flagged the US Department of Defense (DoD) for sending “unserviceable” and “poorly packed” military aid to Taiwan under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA).
The PDA enables Washington to rapidly transfer equipment from its current stockpiles to allied forces in crisis situations. The White House authorized its implementation in mid-2023 to deliver $345 million worth of supplies to the island nation.
In a comprehensive report about the PDA equipment provided to Taiwan, the OIG claimed that the Pentagon failed to effectively implement accountability and quality controls.
For example, it reported that 340 out of 504 pallets of cargo bound for Taipei sustained water damage after being stored for just over three months at an inadequately protected aerial port.
Upon arrival in Taiwan, 120 of the damaged pallets were found to contain wet and moldy body armor, rendering them nearly unusable.
The DoD provided unserviceable and poorly packaged equipment and munitions to Taiwan. More than 340 pallets of items sustained water damage while they remained at the aerial port of embarkation for 3 months pending a flight to Taiwan. Read our report now: https://t.co/pbWEVzN3Oj pic.twitter.com/bSTfQLsI5D
— DoD Office of Inspector General (@DoD_IG) September 12, 2024
According to the OIG, the problem was due to the failure to request a special airlift mission, which would have expedited the transfer and mitigated the damage.
Additional Costs Incurred
In addition to the body armor, Taiwan said it received 2.7 million rounds of ammunition from the US in 2023, but some of them had expired.
It also complained about non-compliance with shipping standards because of the incorrect packaging.
According to the OIG, the problems led to significant additional costs, with the island nation spending $618,000 on labor and materials to address the moldy equipment and another $113,000 to replace the damaged body armor.
“The delivery of non‑mission-capable items inhibits the DoD’s ability to achieve established security cooperation goals and may lead to loss of partner confidence in the United States,” the OIG report noted.
Recommendations
To address the issues, the OIG recommended updating the guidelines for PDA equipment deliveries, including implementing stricter quality and quantity checks before the items leave the US.
It also wants the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) to develop a comprehensive plan to ensure that operating procedures related to the PDA are effectively executed.
“The intent of these recommendations is for the DSCA to provide military services with PD-related responsibilities and the timelines for conducting activities to supply PD items to the ports of embarkation and deliver the items to ports of debarkation,” the report stated.
