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High maneuver jet artillery system fires – Screenshot
Sources familiar with Reuters said the weapons being touted include the High Maneuvering Jet Gun System (HIMARS), the SLAM-ER surface-to-air missile developed by Boeing.
There is also a sensor system mounted on the exterior of the F-16 fighter, once installed, that will allow real-time transmission of images and data from the aircraft to the ground station.
All three contracts were quickly approved by the US State Department, the agency that oversees the government’s gun sales.
Last month, Reuters sources also revealed that Washington is looking to sell seven weapons systems to Taiwan. Three of these are as noted above, while contract details for other weapons systems, including large drones, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and mines, have yet to be submitted to parliament.
The Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committee of the United States has the power to review and block the sale of arms before the State Department approves them. However, US lawmakers were suspicious of what they saw as Chinese aggression and did not oppose the sale of arms to the Taiwanese territories.
In an emailed statement on October 12, the Chinese embassy in the United States urged Washington to stop selling arms and end military relations with Taiwan. “These actions will seriously damage Sino-US relations and peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” the Chinese side stressed.
The news of new arms sales comes after senior US officials reiterated calls on Taiwan last week to spend more on the military. According to US officials, Taipei needs to improve and carry out many military reforms for China to realize the risks of attacking the island.
Beijing considers Taiwan an inseparable part of the territory and asks countries not to go and come with Taipei.
The United States has not established formal relations with Taiwan, but it maintains the supply of arms to the island and opposes actions that alter the status quo with non-peaceful solutions.
US national security adviser Robert O’Brien warned last week that the United States would react if China reunifies Taiwan by force.
