The U.S. Army gave Raytheon Co. [RTN] a $154 million foreign military sales contract for Taiwan to receive Patriot upgrades, the company announced.
That move comes as China continues objecting to any move to help Taiwan modernize its military capabilities.
China claims that Taiwan is a renegade territory that belongs to China. Beijing legislators enacted a measure calling for the People’s Liberation Army to invade and conquer Taiwan unless it submits to rule by Beijing, soon.
However, the United States urges China, a communist dictatorship, to use only peaceful means toward “reunification” of Taiwan, a democratic capitalist nation. And there is a rarely stated U.S. obligation to defend Taiwan from Chinese aggression.
Raytheon will provide upgrade kits for radar and command and control components, a radar refurbishment, and related engineering and technical services.
“Upgrading Patriot fire units from Configuration-2 to Configuration-3 will provide Taiwan with enhanced system capabilities to meet current and emerging threats,” said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Patriot programs at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS).
This contract is in addition to two other awards Raytheon received last year for Taiwan Patriot support: one in March for upgrades and another in April for technical services.
The Patriot PAC-3 is effective against tactical ballistic missiles. China has about 1,400 short- and medium-range tactical missiles aimed at the island nation across the Strait of Taiwan.