US approves potential sale of missiles for F-16s to Taiwan

• Biden administration has approved an estimated $619 million possible military transfer to Taiwan.
• Which is likely to escalate tensions between Washington and Beijing.
• Taiwan’s air force is converting older F-16A/B fighter jets to the F-16V.

An estimated $619 million possible military transfer to Taiwan, which includes hundreds of missiles for F-16 fighter jets, has been approved by the Biden administration.

This decision is likely to escalate already high tensions between Washington and Beijing.

On Wednesday, the administration formally informed Congress of its plans to sell F-16 weapons and associated hardware.

The potential sale, according to a representative of the State Department, is “consistent with the Taiwan Relations Act and our long-standing One-China policy,” which states that “the United States makes available to Taiwan defense articles and services necessary to enable it to maintain a sufficient self-defense capability.”

The representative said Taiwan will pay for the acquisition out of its own pocket.

“The United States’ support to Taiwan and steps Taiwan takes to enhance its self-defense capabilities contribute to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and within the region,” the official said.

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that “the Air Force has full combat capabilities in the two types of missiles that the United States agreed to sell this time,” adding: “Besides allowing us to effectively defend our airspace against provocations from the communist military, it also helps us stock weapons and boost our defensive resilience.”

“The provision of defensive weapons to our country is the basis for preserving regional peace, and the Ministry of National Defense expresses our sincere gratitude to the United States,” the statement continued.

In the case of a Chinese air strike, Taiwan’s defense would be centered around the single-engine F-16 aircraft.

Although never having had control of Taiwan, a democratically run island with a population of 24 million, the Chinese Communist Party asserts that it is a part of its sovereign territory.

Daily, Beijing maintains military pressure on the island by sending ships and aircraft into the Taiwan Strait.

A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on Thursday that the US should stop arming Taiwan and maintaining military ties with Taiwan.

“The US arms sales seriously undermine China’s sovereignty and security interests, Sino-US relations, and peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” spokesperson Mao Ning said in a regular press briefing.

The official Central News Agency (CNA) stated in 2021 that Taiwan’s air force has been converting older F-16A/B fighter jets—originally purchased in the 1990s—to the F-16V, or Viper, jets, outfitting them with cutting-edge radar equipment and modern mission computers. The 2021 report stated that it intended to upgrade 141 fighters to the latest model by this year.

Also, Taiwan has ordered 66 brand-new F-16V aircraft from American manufacturer Lockheed Martin, with delivery of those aircraft beginning this year, according to a report from CNA in 2021.

Raytheon and Lockheed Martin will be the defense contractors for the munitions and equipment, according to a news release from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Wednesday.

100 AGM-88B High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles, 23 HARM training missiles, 200 AIM-120C-8 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, 4 AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM Guidance Sections, and 26 LAU-129 multipurpose launchers are among the weaponry included in the press release.

“This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability. 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 release stated.

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