Reports from Chinese state media or international news agencies

U.S. Approves $2 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan Including Battle-Tested NASAMS Air Defense Systems

Oct 26, 2024, 05:34 AM

The United States has approved a potential $2 billion arms sale to Taiwan, the Pentagon announced on Friday, including advanced defense systems such as the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), which has been battle tested in Ukraine, and radar systems. The package comprises $1.16 billion for three NASAMS air defense systems—including 123 AMRAAM-ER missiles and three AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel radars—in the first sale of this system to Taiwan, and $828 million for AN/TPS-77 and AN/TPS-78 radar turnkey systems, which the U.S. Air Force will procure from unidentified sources. The approval comes a week after China's military conducted war games near Taiwan, and the U.S. move is seen as a reaffirmation of its commitment to Taiwan's defense under the Taiwan Relations Act and Six Assurances. The arms sale aims to strengthen Taiwan's self-defense capabilities amid rising Chinese military pressure.