Anduril Industries, the U.S. defense‑technology firm founded by former Oculus chief Palmer Luckey, said the prolonged hold on a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan is constraining its commercial prospects on the island.
Luckey told a defense forum in Taipei that the company cannot gauge the current status of the package, but noted that Anduril’s business would be in a "different position" if the sale moved forward. He added that the delay hampers not only individual contracts but also broader development work, as the U.S. administration weighs economic repercussions, including possible Chinese leverage over rare‑earth supplies.
The arms package, which includes Anduril’s Altius unmanned aerial system and Taiwan’s domestically unveiled Barracuda‑500 autonomous cruise missile, has been awaiting presidential approval for several months. President Donald Trump described the sale as a "very good negotiating chip" during a May meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, after which the approval was put on hold.
The stalemate follows a December sanction imposed by China on Luckey for previous arms sales to Taiwan. The next week, Xi is scheduled to meet Trump in Washington, with Taiwan expected to be a discussion point.
Anduril’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of U.S. defense exports to the island, which has been seeking to bolster its deterrent capabilities against mainland China. Taiwan President Lai Ching‑te and U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have publicly supported stronger arms ties, but the final go‑ahead remains pending.
The company did not disclose specific revenue impacts, but the delay underscores how geopolitical negotiations can affect the commercial pipeline of defense firms operating in contested regions.
