Taipei, June 6 (EFE).- The United States State Department of State approved the possible sale of a system of combat drones and loitering missiles to Taiwan for an estimated value of $360.2 million, official sources said Wednesday.
In a statement, Taiwan’s defense ministry said unmanned aerial vehicles “have become a new tactical option for real combat,” adding that the acquired material will have “reconnaissance and immediate attack capabilities against enemy “threats.”
“The Taiwan-US security management team continues to work hard to improve the efficiency of arms sales operations between the two sides. This time, the administrative review time has been significantly reduced. The (ministry) expresses special gratitude to the US security cooperation team for its efforts in accelerating arms sales to Taiwan,” the text read.
Taiwan’s foreign office welcomed the approval of this arms sale and valued the “commitment” of the US to the island’s defense.
“We remain determined to uphold peace through strength amid China’s escalating aggression,” said the island’s foreign ministry through its official X account.
In Washington, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the Representative Office of Taiwan in the US requested the purchase of 291 Altius 600M-V drones and 720 Switchblade 300 loitering missiles, as well as equipment related to these devices.
The US has already provided Altius 600 and Switchblade 300 to the Ukrainian army to contain the Russian invasion of its territory.
“The proposed sale serves the national, economic and security interests of the United States by supporting the recipient’s continued efforts to modernize its armed forces and maintain a credible defensive capability,” the agency said in a statement.
This sale of US military equipment to Taiwan, the 15th under the administration of US President Joe Biden, comes just two weeks after Washington approved Taipei’s possible acquisition of spare parts, components, supplies and accessories of the F-16 fighter for another $300 million.
Taiwan – where the Chinese nationalist army withdrew after defeat at the hands of communist troops in the civil war – has been governed autonomously since the end of the war, although China claims sovereignty over the island.
The Taiwanese issue is one of the main points of friction between Beijing and Washington, since the US is Taipei’s main arms supplier and could defend the island in the event of conflict. EFE jacb/lds
