The US Department of State has approved the potential sale of three weapons systems to Taiwan.
The deal is expected to have a total value of $1.8 bn and includes missiles, artillery, and sensors.
This move comes amid rising tension over the democratic
self-ruled island that China claims as its own.
Among the weapons systems is the11 truck-based rocket launchers made by Lockheed Martin Corp
called a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), at an estimated cost of $436.1m.
The notifications also covered 135 AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response
(SLAM-ER) Missiles and related equipment made by Boeing, for an estimated $1.008 bn.
Six MS-110 Recce external sensor pods made by Collins Aerospace for jets,
at an estimated cost of $367.2m is also part of the deal.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes how the U.S is empowering Taiwan to face Chinese forces with
an approved sale of 3 deadly weapons systems? Let’s get started.
Taiwan & China have been at loggerheads. Their conflict can be traced back to 1949,
and the end of the civil war of China. The Nationalists were defeated whereas
the Communists won. The Nationalists moved to Taiwan and set up their own government there.
Communists set up the People's Republic of China.
Both sides claimed they represented the whole of China. China considers Taiwan as part of its
territory and is willing to bring it back into its fold even if it requires force.
In 1979, the United States normalized diplomatic relations with the Beijing government
under the Communist Party of China. Since then the relation between Taiwan–United
States became unofficial and informal and is governed by the Taiwan Relations Act.
The Taiwan Relations Act is designed to maintain ambiguity and does not state if the USA will or
will not intervene militarily if the PRC attacks or invades Taiwan. Under the act,
the U.S is obligated to sell “arms of a defensive character” to Taiwan.
Things have changed recently.
Relations between the United States and Taiwan have moved to a more formal and official level
with the passage of the Taiwan Travel Act by the U.S. Congress on March 16th, 2018.
Though the relation still remains sub diplomatic, most analysts consider this as a major upgrade.
It is important to note that in Jan last year Taiwanese voters have re-elected incumbent
president Tsai Ing-Wen in a landslide election. This is seen as a sharp rebuke to Beijing
and its attempts to intimidate and lure Taiwan into China’s fold.
Tsai won more than 8m votes, the most any presidential candidate has garnered
since Taiwan began holding direct elections for the position in 1996.
She easily defeated her opponent Han Kuo-yu, whose Kuomintang party promotes closer ties with China.
Since this, China has taken a very hostile stance
and has been sending aircraft and ships to intimidate Taiwan.
The 3 weapon systems will go a long way in deterring China. Let's check them one by one.
The AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response)
is an advanced stand-off precision-guided, air-launched cruise missile produced by
Boeing Defense, Space & Security for the United States Armed Forces and their allies.
Developed from the AGM-84E SLAM (Standoff Land Attack Missile) which is itself developed by
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems from the McDonnell Douglas Harpoon anti-ship missile,
the SLAM-ER is capable of attacking land and sea targets at a range of 270 km or 167 miles.
The SLAM-ER relies on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and infrared
imaging for its navigation and control, and it can strike both moving and stationary targets.
The SLAM-ER can be remotely controlled while in flight,
and it can be redirected to another target after launch if the original
target has already been destroyed, or is no longer considered to be dangerous.
The SLAM-ER is a very accurate weapon and has one of the best
circular error probable (CEP) of any missile used by the U.S. Navy.
Viewers may note that Taiwan Strait separates China from Taiwan and China will have to move
its forces across the strait in case it decides to invade. This is where SLAM-ER would be very useful
since it could be used to take out the Chinese warships as well as shore-based launch pads.
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is a
light multiple rocket launcher developed in the late 1990s
for the United States Army, mounted on a standard Army M1140 truck frame.
HIMARS is intended to engage and defeat artillery, air defense concentrations,
trucks, and light armor and personnel carriers, as well as support troop and supply concentrations.
The system launches its weapons and moves away from the area at high speed
before enemy forces locate the launch site.
The HIMARS carries six GMLRS rockets or one MGM-140 ATACMS missile
GMLRS or Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System has a range of 70 km or 44 miles.
It has a GPS, an inertial guidance package and
small canards on the rocket nose to enhance accuracy.
ATACMS missile or Army Tactical Missile System is a surface-to-surface missile
manufactured by the American company Lockheed Martin. It has a range of over 100 miles
or 160 km, with a solid propellant.
The MS-110 is the next-generation of the DB-110 Airborne Reconnaissance System.
It provides advanced daytime and night-time wide-area and
long-range reconnaissance capability.
As per the manufacturer - Collins Aerospace, MS-110 offers three important product
enhancements from the current generation DB-110 - Multispectral Imaging capabilities – the ability
to image in multiple spectral bands, improved optics for increased image
resolution and area coverage capability, and common ground coverage among all bands
It is compatible with carriage on jets such as F-16, F-15, F/A-18, Typhoon,
Rafale, manned ISR aircraft, and UAVs such as the MQ-9 Reaper.
It is to be noted that Taiwan has F-16s, so the MS-110 could be used seamlessly.