War Plan Taiwan
OPLAN 5077 and the U.S. Struggle for the Pacific
Published on 2. April 2026
Book
Hardback
324 pages
978-1-68247-808-0 (ISBN)
Description
In an era when the balance of power in the Western Pacific could determine the course of global security, the possibility of war over Taiwan has shifted from theoretical debate to urgent reality. The island's defense is no longer just a regional matter but a flashpoint that could draw the United States, its allies, and China into a confrontation with worldwide consequences. War Plan Taiwan places today's headlines into a century-long continuum of U.S. military planning, revealing how Washington has prepared for-and at times narrowly avoided-conflict in the Pacific.
War Plan Taiwan charts the defense challenges the Western Pacific has presented to the United States since its establishment as a territorial presence in the region, including in the context of preparation for and execution of the war against Imperial Japan, the subsequent threat from the Soviet Union, and the rise of China.
Incorporating a historical narrative of U.S.-Taiwan defense relations and concluding with an examination of the potential course of a 2029 conflict between a U.S.-led coalition and China in the region, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand Taiwan's pivotal position in today's new Cold War.
War Plan Taiwan charts the defense challenges the Western Pacific has presented to the United States since its establishment as a territorial presence in the region, including in the context of preparation for and execution of the war against Imperial Japan, the subsequent threat from the Soviet Union, and the rise of China.
Incorporating a historical narrative of U.S.-Taiwan defense relations and concluding with an examination of the potential course of a 2029 conflict between a U.S.-led coalition and China in the region, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to understand Taiwan's pivotal position in today's new Cold War.
Reviews / Votes
"OPLAN 5077 is the U.S. military's plan to deal with the broad range of issues and responsibilities attendant to a potential conflict with China over Taiwan. Rowan Allport does a masterful job setting the stage with his lucid, straightforward projection of events that could lead to conflict across the Strait of Taiwan between China and the United States."-Admiral Timothy J. Keating, Commander of the U. S. Pacific Command 2007-2010"Rowan Allport's remarkable book War Plan Taiwan provides a deeply informative and unsettling account of the potential strategy for the United States in the tinderbox of the 21st century. Drawing on a rich assemblage of public materials, he has provided an essential guide to the huge challenges confronting American military strategists in waging a possible conflict over Taiwan."-Kurt M. Campbell, Chairman of The Asia Group, former Deputy Secretary of State, and inaugural White House IndoPacific Coordinator
"Amid increasing Chinese military capabilities and rising concerns about Xi Jinping's strategic ambitions in East Asia, Rowan Allport's War Plan Taiwan expertly illuminates how United States military plans have shaped the region and would impact any future conflict, making it essential reading not just for military personnel, but anyone seeking to understand the most dangerous flashpoint in the world."-Eric Setzekorn, George Mason University and author of Arming East Asia: Deterring China in the Early Cold War and The Rise and Fall of an Officer Corps: The Republic of China Military, 1942-1955
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Annopolis
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
8 Maps, 12 B-W Photos
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
681 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-68247-808-0 (9781682478080)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2026
Naval Institute Press
€44.49
Available for download
Persons
Rowan Allport is a deputy director at the Human Security Centre, a London-based foreign policy think tank. Previously a lobbyist in Westminster and a senior analyst for RAND Europe's Security, Defense and Infrastructure group, Dr. Allport authored Fire and Ice: A New Maritime Strategy for NATO's Northern Flank and has been published in outlets including Foreign Policy, The Diplomat, and Defense One. He holds a PhD in politics from the University of York and lives in England.