The United States said Wednesday it approved the sale to Taiwan of advanced sensor equipment for its fighter jets, the latest upgrade as fears rise over China's increasing assertiveness over its claim to the island.
The State Department said it informed Congress of the $500 million sale of F-16 Infrared Search and Track systems and related equipment to help Taiwan "maintain a credible defensive capability."
The sale will help Taiwan "meet current and future threats by contributing to the recipient's abilities to defend its airspace, provide regional security and increase interoperability with the United States through its F-16 program."
The new system, built by Lockheed Martin, improves fighter jets' ability to detect airborne threats, increasing the chances of F-16s' survival during combat.
Taiwan's presidential office thanked the United States Thursday for "its supply of defensive weapons to us and its ongoing commitment to Taiwan's security".
"Taiwan will continue its self-defense resolve and strengthen its all-out national defense capability in order to safeguard national security," it said in a statement.
China claims Taiwan, a self-ruling democracy, and has stepped up saber-rattling over the past year in response to Taiwanese leaders' interactions with the United States.
It staged its latest drills around the island on Saturday, with Taiwan detecting 45 warplanes entering its air defense zone.
The United States only recognizes Beijing but for more than four decades has sold weapons to Taiwan to ensure its self-defense.
US lawmakers, seeing a rising threat from China, have recently been moving to go further and to aid Taiwan directly as the United States does to Ukraine.
Artificial Intelligence Analysis
Defense Industry Analyst: 8 Stock Market Analyst: 3General Industry Analyst: 5Analyst Summary
:The US State Department recently announced the sale of F 16 Infrared Search and Track systems and related equipment to Taiwan for $500 million. This equipment will help to improve the island’s defensive capabilities, by allowing their fighter jets to detect airborne threats and improve their chances of survival during combat. The sale of this defensive equipment is in response to China’s increasing assertiveness over its claim to Taiwan, as demonstrated by the drills that have been conducted around the island in recent months. While the sale has been welcomed by Taiwan, US lawmakers have suggested that more direct aid from the US to Taiwan may be necessary in order to ensure its self-defense.The sale of this equipment to Taiwan is reflective of a growing trend of increased US military aid to countries that share its interests, such as Ukraine. This trend has been driven by a growing concern over China’s increasing assertiveness in the region, and is in line with the US’s commitment to maintaining regional security. This sale is also indicative of the US’s strong commitment to Taiwan’s self-defense, which has been maintained for over four decades through the sale of defensive weapons.Investigative
Question:
- 1. What other defensive weapons has the US sold to Taiwan in the past?
- 2. How has China responded to the US’s sale of defensive weapons to Taiwan?
- 3.
How will the sale of this equipment affect the security of the region?4. What other measures could the US take to ensure the security of Taiwan?
5. How have other countries responded to the US’s sale of defensive weapons to Taiwan?
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