Flight Global
Date: 21 October 2020
By: Garrett Reim

In a move that is sure to provoke a backlash from Beijing, the US State Department has approved a package of weapons for a possible Foreign Military Sale to Taiwan, including dozens of anti-ship missiles, rocket artillery and long-range airborne reconnaissance pods.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying the US Congress of the possible sale, it says on 21 October.

The possible sales package includes 135 examples of the Boeing AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER), 11 Lockheed Martin High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launchers and six Collins Aerospace MS-110 multispectral airborne reconnaissance pods.

The SLAM-ER package is estimated to cost $1 billion, the HIMARS are $436 million and MS-110 are $367 million. The final cost will likely be lower, depending on Taiwan’s final requirements, budget authority, and signed sales agreement. Ultimately, the weapons buy has to be accepted by Taipei as well.    [FULL  STORY]