Oct. 23 (UPI) — The State Department approved two possible arms deals with Taiwan, which will total $1.4 billion if they go through, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced.
The larger deal, estimated at $1.008 billion, would involve the sale of 135 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response, or SLAM-ER, Missiles and related equipment to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.
That sale would include 151 containers, spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation and other aspects of logistics support.
“This proposed sale will improve the recipient’s capability to meet current and future threats as it provides all-weather, day and night, precision attack capabilities against both moving and stationary targets,” DSCA said in a press release. “The recipient will be able to employ a highly reliable and effective system to increase their warfighting effectiveness as needed, which can counter or deter aggressions by demonstrated precision against surface targets.
This capability will easily integrate into existing force infrastructure as it will only improve defense against opposing threats. The recipient will have no difficulty absorbing these systems into its armed forces,” the agency added.
Boeing will be the principal contractor on the larger deal.
Under the second deal, worth $436.1 million, TECRO would buy 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems M142 Launchers and related equipment from the United States.
The related equipment includes 64 Army Tactical Missile Systems M57 Unitary Missiles, 22 AN/NRC-92E dual radio systems, 54 M28A2 Low Cost Reduced Range Practice Rocket Pods and all related technical and logistical support.
DSCA said the acquisition would serve Taiwan “as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense.”
The primary contractor on the second deal will be Lockheed Martin.
The DSCA said both deals are consistent with the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act and are consistent with U.S. foreign policy goals in the region.
