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Summary US has announced $5.85 billion arms sales package to upgrade Taiwan's fleet of 145 F-16 fighters.
Top United States diplomat for East Asia, Kurt Campbell, told a news conference that the upgrades will help ensure Taiwans ability to defend itself and contribute to the stability of its relations with mainland China, which regards the self-governing island as part of its territory.He said Taiwans additional request for 66 new F-16s was still under consideration. Taiwan first sought the new planes in 2006.Both Republican and Democrat lawmakers have called for the sales of new planes as well as the upgrades, and have introduced legislation to mandate that. They have criticized the Obama administration of trying to mollify mainland China by denying Taiwan the new planes.Taiwans Defense Ministry gave the first official confirmation of the upgrades to its F-16 A/Bs earlier Wednesday, after the U.S. administration had notified Congress of the sale.The ministry said the sale would include AESA radar that Taiwan wanted. The system will provide the planes the ability to detect stealth aircraft, like the J-20 that China is developing.But the ministry on Wednesday also urged Washington also to approve the sales of more advanced F-16 C/D warplanes.Campbell defended the Obama administrations commitment to improving Taiwans defence capability which is widely recognized as having lurched in Chinas favor as the mainland has invested heavily in its military in the past decade. Beijing has continued to build up its military posture against Taiwan, including ballistic missiles arrayed against the island, despite a sharp improvement in cross-Strait relations in the past three years.Campbell said the administration had approved more than $12 billion in defense sales in the past two years, greater than during any other period.The upgrades account for $5.3 billion of the latest package. It also includes a five-year extension of F-16 pilot training in the U.S., totaling $500 million, and aircraft spare parts for sustaining Taiwans aging fleet of F-5s, and C-130 transport planes, totaling $52 million.
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