WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defence (DoD) has recently awarded a significant contract worth $68.4 million to Raytheon Missile & Defence (RMD), a segment of RTX Corporation, to develop state-of-the-art air-launched missiles for Taiwan.
The contract involves the production and delivery of 50 joint standoff weapon air-to-ground missiles (AGM-154 Block III C) over the next four years, with two-thirds of the production set to take place in Tucson, Arizona, where RMD is headquartered.
The AGM-154 missiles, commonly referred to as glide bombs, are 1,000-pound air-to-surface precision strike weapons. They have been integrated into various US-made fighter jets, including the F-16s, enhancing their long-range strike capabilities. Notably, joint standoff weapons, when launched at high altitudes, can reach targets as far as 110 kilometers (68 miles) away.
This contract is part of a broader arms sale package approved by Washington in June 2017, encompassing seven potential military sales to Taipei with a total value of $1.363 billion.
The AGM-154 missiles are expected to contribute to Taiwan’s Air Force, which boasts the largest fleet of F-16 fighters in Asia, comprising around 140 units. The recent upgrade of all F-16s aims to facilitate the seamless integration of these new advanced weapons.
Taipei is concurrently in the process of acquiring 66 additional F-16Vs from the US, although the purchase has encountered delays reportedly linked to competing US military commitments worldwide. While Beijing has not yet responded to the latest Raytheon contract, it previously expressed strong objections when the arms package for Taiwan was announced in 2017.
At that time, China vehemently protested, urging Washington to revoke what it deemed a “wrong decision.”
