Source: ZeroHedge.com
Taiwan is set to purchase up to 400 land-launched Harpoon missiles in order to repel a future Chinese invasion, according to the president of the US-Taiwan Business Council Rupert Hammond-Chambers, speaking to Bloomberg.
While Harpoons have previously been purchased by Taiwan for deployment on warships, this marks a first time acquisition of the mobile, land-launched version.
Per Bloomberg, “The Pentagon announced the $1.7 billion contract with Boeing on April 7 but made no mention of Taiwan as the purchaser” at a moment of tense US-China relations due to ratcheting Chinese military drills around the self-ruled island.
As the Monday report additionally reviews:
The Harpoon contract has been cited by members of Congress including Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, as part of as much $19 billion in “backlogged US sales to Taiwan that they say need to accelerated. In addition to the Harpoon, the list includes the F-16 Block 70 fighter, the MK-48 torpedo, the M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer and the Stinger missile.
Additionally the US-Taiwan Business Council has now confirmed the Harpoon is to be transferred. …