F-16 / Photo: Deffense News Magazine / Creator: Staff Sgt. James Richardson

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Pentagon announced Friday that the United States has approved a new arms sale to Taiwan worth US$387 million, the Taipei Times (TT) reports. The sale represents the 18th arms deal with Taiwan to be approved by the Biden administration.

Requested by Taipei amid ongoing saber-rattling by the Chinese government – which considers Taiwan to be part of China – the sale includes F-16 fighter jets and follow-up support for Improved Mobile Subscriber Equipment (IMSE), TT reports. Delivery of the equipment is expected to begin in 2025.

In a statement, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said the deal serves “US national, economic and security interests by supporting the recipient’s continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability” and that it would “help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance and economic progress in the region.”

The Taipei Presidential Office said Monday that the new arms deal represents a deepened Taiwan-US security partnership and an important element in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, TT reports.

“[Taiwan’s] Ministry of National Defense expressed gratitude to the US for the latest arms sale, which it said would continue to provide Taiwan with assistance building the nation’s self-defense capabilities and establish a foundation to maintain regional stability,” TT reports.

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