《TAIPEI TIMES》F-16 missile package approved by US

SINCERE GRATITUDE: The US continues to normalize arms sales to Taiwan, helping the nation to quickly obtain equipment and enhance combat capabilities, MOFA said

By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter

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Washington informed Taiwan that it has approved a package of up to US$619 million for equipment and munitions related to F-16 jets, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs （MOFA） said yesterday.

The US Department of State notified the US Congress that it has approved the sale, which is likely to pass a vote in Congress within in a month, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.

The defense ministry expressed its “sincere gratitude” to the US for approving the sale.

The package would provide 100 AGM-88B high-speed anti-radiation missiles （HARM）, 23 HARM training missiles, 200 AIM-120C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles （AMRAAM）, four AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM guidance systems and 26 LAU-129 multi-purpose launchers, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said.

Other munitions and equipment in the package include LAU-118A missile launchers with an aircraft launcher interface computer, HARM missile containers, AIM-120 control sections and containers, AIM-120C captive air training missiles, dummy air training missiles, integration and test support and equipment, and other related elements of logistical and program support, it added.

The main contractors of the missiles would be Raytheon Technologies Corp and Lockheed Martin Corp.

The defense ministry said that the air force has completed combat capability assessments with the AGM-88B and AIM-120C-8 missiles, which are able to further strengthen the defense capabilities protecting Taiwan’s airspace.

The sale also demonstrates Taiwan’s ability to predict the nation’s combat needs and strengthen its armed forces accordingly, it added.

Taiwan is “preparing for war, but not asking for war,” and is determined to boost its self-defense capabilities, the defense ministry said.

The sale is highly welcome, MOFA spokesman Jeff Liu （劉永健） told a news conference yesterday.

The foreign ministry thanked the US for fulfilling its promise in the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances,” he said.

This is the first military sale announced this year by US President Joe Biden’s administration and the eighth in his term, Liu said.

The US continues to normalize arms sales to Taiwan, helping the nation to obtain defense equipment in a timely manner and enhance combat capabilities, he said.

In the face of China’s military expansion, Taiwan would continue to improve its self-defense capabilities and deepen its security relationship with the US, he said.

The sale comes as the defense ministry yesterday reported a second day of large-scale Chinese air force incursions into the nation’s air defense identification zone, with 21 aircraft spotted over 24 hours ending yesterday morning.

The aircraft, 17 J-10 fighters and four J-16 fighters, flew into the southwestern corner of the zone, a defense ministry graphic showed.

The J-10s, an older model that entered service two decades ago, flew closer to the Chinese coast than Taiwan’s, while the J-16s, a much newer and more advanced fighter, flew northeast of the Pratas Islands （Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島）, the graphic showed.

Taiwanese air force jets were sent to monitor the Chinese aircraft, the ministry said.

The ministry on Wednesday reported 19 Chinese aircraft flying in the zone.

None of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, although 10 Chinese aircraft crossed the line on Friday last week.

Additional reporting by Reuters

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES