WASHINGTON, (BM) – The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, learned BulgarianMilitary.com, quoting Reuters.
The potential deal is for 66 aircraft, 75 General Electric Co engines, as well as other systems, the agency said in a statement, adding it served the interests of the United States and would help Taiwan maintain a credible defence.
Read more: Taiwan Buys Abrams Tanks and Stinger Missiles Totaling $2.2 Billion, China is Seriously Concerned
China has already denounced the widely discussed sale, one of the biggest yet by the United States to Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province. It has warned of unspecified “countermeasures.”
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, a Republican, has welcomed the proposed sale of the Lockheed Martin Corp F-16 jets.
“These fighters are critical to improving Taiwan’s ability to defend its sovereign airspace, which is under increasing pressure from the People’s Republic of China,” he said in a recent statement.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News on Monday that President Donald Trump notified Congress of the sale last week.
Read more: The U.S. Is Pursuing Sale of Tanks and Weapons to Taiwan, China Is Severely Concerned
Pompeo told Fox News the sale was “consistent with past U.S. policy” and that the United States was “simply following through on the commitments we’ve made to all of the parties.”
In Tapei, President Tsai Ing-wen said the sale would help Taiwan build a new air force and boost its air defence capacity.
Follow us everywhere and at any time. BulgarianMilitary.com has responsive design and you can open the page from any computer, mobile devices or web browsers. For more up-to-date news from us, follow our YouTube, Reddit, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook pages. Do not miss the chance to subscribe to our newsletter.
>>Be a reporter: Write and send your article.<<
BulgarianMilitary.com
Editorial team
Source: Reuters