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 agency said.
“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,” it said in separate 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 fly around an area until a target is located, then attack by crashing into it.
The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed to attack ground troops, which Ukrainian forces have utilized extensively in their fight against Russia’s invasion.
The ALTIUS 600M-V is the warhead variant of the Anduril 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 Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances.”
In a separate statement, the ministry said that approval time was significantly expedited for the sales.
It thanked its US counterparts for their efforts to accelerate arms sales to Taiwan.
The US’ official approval of the sale of the weapons would bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities, Presidential Office spokeswoman Kuo Ya-hui (郭雅慧) said.
The Presidential Office thanks the US government for observing the Taiwan Relations Act and the “six assurances,” and continuing to strengthen the Taiwan-US partnership to jointly uphold regional peace, Kuo said.
The combined package is the 15th authorized to Taiwan since the administration of US President Joe Biden took office in 2021, highlighting the US government’s emphasis on regional stability and peace, she said.
Taiwan would continue to augment its self-defense and asymmetrical warfare capabilities to defend and uphold its democratic and free government, she said.
Taiwan would also continue to work with like-minded countries to ensure that the Indo-Pacific region remains free and open to all, foster global peace, stability and prosperity, and contribute in a meaningful and benign manner, she added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the US is working with like-minded partners to urge China to stop oppressing Taiwan, and undermining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan would continue to deepen Taiwan-US security partnerships, and work together to maintain a rules-based world order to foster stability, peace and prosperity in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region, the ministry said.
The CIA has a message for Chinese government officials worried about their place in Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) government: Come work with us. The agency released two Mandarin-language videos on social media on Thursday inviting disgruntled officials to contact the CIA. The recruitment videos posted on YouTube and X racked up more than 5 million views combined in their first day. The outreach comes as CIA Director John Ratcliffe has vowed to boost the agency’s use of intelligence from human sources and its focus on China, which has recently targeted US officials with its own espionage operations. The videos are “aimed at
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
SHIFT: Taiwan’s better-than-expected first-quarter GDP and signs of weakness in the US have driven global capital back to emerging markets, the central bank head said The central bank yesterday blamed market speculation for the steep rise in the local currency, and urged exporters and financial institutions to stay calm and stop panic sell-offs to avoid hurting their own profitability. The nation’s top monetary policymaker said that it would step in, if necessary, to maintain order and stability in the foreign exchange market. The remarks came as the NT dollar yesterday closed up NT$0.919 to NT$30.145 against the US dollar in Taipei trading, after rising as high as NT$29.59 in intraday trading. The local currency has surged 5.85 percent against the greenback over the past two sessions, central
RSS