The US Department of State has approved the sale of kamikaze drones and missiles to Taiwan for US$360 million, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Tuesday.
Included in the two separate packages are 720 Switchblade 300 loitering munitions and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$60.2 million, and 291 ALTIUS 600M-V drone systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of US$300 million.
“The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region,” the agency said in two news releases announcing the sales.
Photo: Screen grab from AeroVironment’s Facebook page
Taipei had expressed interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities to enhance its asymmetric warfare capabilities, sources said last month.
Loitering munitions are capable of flying around an area until a target is located, then attacking by crashing into it.
The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, which Ukrainian forces have utilized extensively in their fight against Russia’s invasion.
The ALTIUS 600M is the warhead-armed variant of Anduril’s series of loitering munitions. It can be deployed from various platforms and in a networked swarm.
The Ministry of National Defense on X yesterday thanked Washington for the approval, saying it would “enhance our ability to meet current and future threats” in accordance with the US’ Taiwan Relations Act and “six assurances.”
In a separate statement, the ministry said that approval time was significantly expedited for this case, and expressed gratitude to its US counterparts for their efforts in accelerating arms sales to Taiwan.
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