The U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, announced on Friday that the U.S. Department of State has approved the sale of equipment worth $300 million to assist in supporting Taiwan's tactical information systems, marking the latest American aid to the island's defense systems. The United States is legally committed to providing Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, with means of defense. Arms sales have been a recurring source of tension between Washington and Beijing. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated that the sale aims to continue supporting the development cycle to maintain Taiwan's command, control, communications, and computing capabilities.
Additionally, it stated that the support would enhance Taiwan's ability to "counter current and future threats by improving operational readiness" and sustaining existing command, control, communications, and computing capabilities to ensure the secure flow of tactical information. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense mentioned that "the sale will help maintain the efficiency of joint combat systems for command and control so that it can improve situational awareness on the battlefield." The ministry noted, "The recurring military operations conducted by the Chinese communists around Taiwan pose a serious threat to us," adding that it expects the sale to "enter into effect" within a month and expressed gratitude to the United States for it.
The U.S. Congress is to be notified, and the sale process is likely to proceed. The Taiwanese presidential office pointed out that "the deal, which is the twelfth arms sale conducted by the Biden administration with Taipei, underscores the U.S. government's significant regard for the island's defense needs."
