The State Department approved three possible Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Taiwan worth nearly $2 billion for AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) missiles, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) M142 Launchers, and MS-110 Recce Pods.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of all three sales on Wednesday.
These sales are labeled as sales to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, Taiwan’s alternative to an embassy or consulate.
The largest FMS is $1.008 billion in 135 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) Missiles along with four ATM-84H SLAM-ER Telemetry Missiles; and 12 CATM-84H Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM). The sale includes 151 containers and associated logistical and service support.
The primary contractor is weapons maker Boeing [BA].
DSCA said this sale would improve Taiwan’s “capability to meet current and future threats as it provides all-weather, day and night, precision attack capabilities against both moving and stationary targets.”
“The recipient will be able to employ a highly reliable and effective system to increase their warfighting effectiveness as needed, which can counter or deter aggressions by demonstrated precision against surface targets,” the agency added.
DSCA said this sale will help improve Taiwan’s security and both help it continue efforts to modernize its military as well as “maintain a credible defensive capability.”
Separately, Taiwan requested $436.1 million for 11 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) M142 Launchers. Associated equipment in the sale also includes 64 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) M57 Unitary Missiles; seven M1152Al High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs); 11 M240B Machine Guns, 7.62MM; 17 International Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems (IFATDS); 11 M2Al machine guns, .50 caliber; various radio systems; 11 M1084A2 cargo Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) Resupply Vehicles (RSV); and other associated logistical and support equipment and services.
The primary contractor for this sale is Lockheed Martin [LMT].
DSCA said Taiwan will use these capabilities “as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense.”
Specifically, HIMARS “will contribute to the recipient’s goal of updating its military capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies.”
The last sale is $367.2 million for six MS-110 Recce Pods; three Transportable Ground Stations; one Fixed Ground station; and associated parts, logistics, and equipment support services.
The MS-110 provides multispectral imaging capabilities for daytime and night-time wide-area and long range reconnaissance uses.
The main contractor in this sale is Raytheon Technologies’ Collins Aerospace [RTX].
DSCA said Taiwan would use this equipment to improve its “capability to meet current and future threats by providing timely Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), capabilities for its security and defense.”
“The enhanced capability is a deterrent to regional threats and will strengthen the recipient’s self-defense,” the agency added.