Taiwan Security Monitor (TSM) is a research initiative based at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. TSM provides open-source analysis, data visualizations, and policy-relevant insights on Taiwan’s security environment and cross-Strait dynamics.
Our interdisciplinary team of researchers brings together expertise in international affairs, security studies, data analysis, and regional studies. Using open-source intelligence (OSINT) methods and advanced mapping, satellite imagery, and data visualization tools, TSM works to make complex defense and security issues accessible to policymakers, scholars, and the public.
Through its research and outreach, TSM seeks to enhance understanding of Taiwan’s strategic context and to contribute meaningfully to informed discussion on peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
TSM’s new interactive Taiwan Arms Sales Backlog Tool is now live! The tracker lets users explore the backlog month by month, break outstanding sales down by capability type, and follow individual cases from congressional notification through contracting, partial delivery, and
TSM’s latest Taiwan Security Monitor Weekly is now live on Substack, covering the major military, diplomatic, and political developments affecting Taiwan and the Taiwan Strait from Sept. 28–Oct. 4.
This week’s issue covers the arrival of Taiwan’s first two F-16V Block 70s, the
255 PLA aircraft sorties were detected in September, up from 173 in August.
Below is TSM's visualization of PLA activity around Taiwan covering the full month of September:
Notes:
• All data from Taiwan's MND / TSM's PLA Activity Center
• Percentage increases/decreases represent change from August to the month of September.
• Detection frequency refers to the number of times an airframe type is mentioned in updates, not the total
