An article published on Wednesday on Foreign Policy magazine’s Web site said Taiwan’s request to buy F-16V jets was expected to move forward this month, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said only that the request is still being reviewed by the US.
An article by Lara Seligman, “Trump’s Fighter Jet Sale to Taiwan Advances Despite China’s Protests,” cited two unidentified sources as saying that although the deal for 66 F-16 Block 70 jets has been stalled, it was expected to move forward before the US Congress begins its traditional recess next month.
The negotiations over price and configuration of the aircraft had led to the deal taking longer than expected, Seligman wrote.
However, Taiwan’s request must still be converted into a formal proposal by the US Department of Defense and Department of State, and then Congress officially notified, after which lawmakers would have 30 days to block the sale if they want, she wrote.
Seligman noted that China has long said the US selling new F-16s to Taiwan would “be a red line.”
When asked for a comment, MOFA deputy spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) only said that Taiwan and the US have maintained close contact over the deal.
The Ministry of National Defense declined to comment, while the American Institute in Taiwan reiterated that it would not comment on potential or pending arms sales or transfers before they have been formally ratified by Congress.
Minister of National Defense Yen De-fa (嚴德發) in April told the legislature that a decision by the US on the Letter of Request (LOR) the government submitted in February could come sometime this month, as the Pentagon has to notify Congress whether it has decided to grant the sale within 150 days of receiving the LOR.
While the defense ministry has never officially confirmed what type of jets it requested from the US, only that it asked for a total of 66, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has previously made clear that the government is seeking to purchase F-16V fighters.
The F-16V or Viper is an update of the F-16 Fighting Falcon manufactured by Lockheed Martin. The F-16 Block 70/72 is the newest and most advanced F-16 production configuration, according to the company’s Web site.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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