Biden administration approves its first arms sale to Taiwan
- The potential US$750 million deal includes 40 new M109 self-propelled howitzers and almost 1,700 kits to convert projectiles into more precise GPS-guided munitions
- The proposed sale would improve Taiwan’s capability to blunt a Chinese land invasion
Included in the proposed sale are 40 self-propelled artillery units, a number of other armored vehicles, machine guns, and almost 1,700 kits to convert standard artillery shells into smart weapons that can steer themselves towards targets.
The sale of the self-propelled artillery vehicles, known as howitzers, would “contribute to the modernisation of Taiwan’s howitzer fleet, strengthening its self-defence capabilities to meet current and future threats,” a State Department representative said in emailed comments.
The proposal, brought forth under the State Department’s Foreign Military Sales programme, will require the approval of Congress, which has united around the need for US support of Taiwan on a largely bipartisan basis.
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In addition to congressional approval, the proposed sale will also need to undergo final negotiations between Taiwan and BAE Systems – the US contractor providing the howitzer weapons – according to a congressional notification posted by the State Department.
