Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON: The Pentagon has said that the US State Department has formally approved the sale of F-16 munitions and related equipment to Taiwan valued at 619 million dollars.
The Pentagon said that Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin were the principal contractors. The US has approved the potential sale of 619 million dollars in advance weapons to Taiwan, including missiles for its F-16 fleet, as the island reported a second day of large-scale Chinese air force incursions nearby.
The weapons sales are likely to further sour already tense relations between Washington and Beijing, which has repeatedly demanded such deals must stop, terming it unwarranted support for democratically governed Taiwan, an island China claims as its territory.
The US approves sale of arms
The Pentagon said that the US State Department approved the potential sale of arms and equipment to Taiwan, including des 200 anti-aircraft Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles and 100 AGM-88B HARM missiles that can take that out land-based radar stations.
It said that “the proposed sale will contribute to Taiwan’s capability to defend its airspace, regional security, and interoperability with the US.” The Taiwan defence ministry said the missiles would help “effectively defend the airspace to deal with threat and provocation from Chinese military and bolster defence stockpiles.
China has sanctioned Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed Martin for selling weapons to Taiwan.
