The US has announced it plans to sell Taiwan nearly US$500 million in missiles that Taiwan's fleet of F-16 fighter jets could use against any Chinese air attack. The sale, if it goes ahead, would be the largest to Taiwan in recent years.
The possible sale, requested by Taiwan, would involve the purchase of nearly 600 sophisticated missiles that would be used in F-16s to counter a Chinese attack across the Taiwan Strait.
The announcement comes at a time when the Pentagon continues to be frustrated at the pan blue-dominated Legislative Yuan's refusal to approve the purchase of a package of US weapons promised to Taiwan by US President George W. Bush in 2001. Reports have said the US has made it clear it will not sell additional advanced F-16 fighters to Taiwan unless the arms sales package is approved.
The announcement, by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which handles foreign arms sales, put the value of the sale at up to US$421 million. It would consist of 218 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), 235 AGM-65G2 Maverick Missiles, test missiles, 48 missile launchers, training missiles and various support systems and assistance programs.
Modernization efforts
"This proposed sale serves our national economic and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and enhance its defensive ability to counter air and ground threats," the DSCA said in announcing the proposed sale.
It said the sale "will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region. The US is committed to providing military assistance under the terms of the Taiwan Relations Act."
The sale of AMRAAM and Maverick missiles to Taiwan "augments and complements the recipient's F-16 fleet. The recipient uses AMRAAM and Maverick missiles to enhance its defense capabilities. Acquisition of AMRAAM and Maverick missiles will allow the recipient to protect and defend Taiwan," the agency said.
The prime contractor will be Raytheon Missile Systems Corp of Tucson, Arizona.
"Although the purchaser generally requires offsets, at this time, there are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale," the DSCA said. Offsets generally refer to technology transfers or other special incentives that US defense contractors must give recipients to help ice a lucrative arms sale. The Clinton administration first agreed to sell the AMRAAMS to Taiwan in 2000, an agreement that was reaffirmed by President Bush in the spring of 2001 as part of his massive arms sales offer to Taiwan that year.
Delayed
However, delivery of the first AMRAAMs was delayed for nearly two years because of a condition imposed by Washington that the sale would have to wait until China acquired similar missiles from Russia. The deliveries were made in early 2002 after China obtained AA12 air-to-air missiles from Moscow.
The sophisticated AIM-120s are a new generation of medium-range air-to-air missile, that has an all-weather capacity to see over the horizon, which began to be used early this century.
It can reach speeds of up four times the speed of sound, and has a range of more than 48km, according to US Navy and Raytheon Web sites.
It also has advanced capabilities against low altitude targets of the type that would likely be used in any Chinese military attack.
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