The US has agreed to sell Taiwan 66 advanced fighter jets to counter China's continued arms build-up, a local Chinese-language newspaper report said yesterday.
A Taiwanese delegation proposed the procurement of F-16C/D fighters during an annual military meeting with Washington early this month, the Chinese-language China Times said.
"The United States has given its nod over the sales of 66 F-16C/D Block 52s for at least NT$100 billion (US$3.1 billion)," the paper said, without naming a source.
The Ministry of National Defense declined to comment on the report.
If the report is true, it would be the biggest arms deal Washington has offered Taiwan since 2001 when US President George W. Bush agreed to provide the island with eight diesel-powered submarines, 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft and an improved version of Patriot missiles, the paper said.
The new planes aim to reinforce the air force's combat capability before it can acquire so-called "third generation" fighters from the US, the paper said.
The US in 1992 agreed to sell Taiwan 150 less sophisticated F-16A/Bs, but refused to provide F-16C/Ds which have a longer range and powerful ground attack capability.
In addition to 146 F-16A/B fighters, the air force has 128 locally produced Indigenous Defense Fighters and 56 French-made Mirage 2000-5s, along with 60 or so aging F-5 Tigers.
President Chen Shui-bian (
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