Pentagon Approves Massive Sale of Missiles, Torpedoes to Taiwan

The Defense Department has approved the sale of high-speed missiles designed to home in on radar systems as well as air defense weapons and torpedoes to Taiwan.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States has approved the sale of 50 high-speed anti-radiation missiles to Taiwan as part of a $1.42 billion arms deal, the Defense Department said in a press release.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States of fifty (50) AGM-88B HARMs and ten (10) AGM-88B Training HARMs," the release said Thursday.

Pentagon also approved the sale of 16 air defense Standard Missile-2 weapons.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale… of sixteen (16) Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA All-Up Rounds (AUR), forty-seven (47) MK 93 MOD 1 SM-2 Block IIIA Guidance Sections (GSs), and five (5) MK 45 MOD 14 SM-2 Block IIIA Target Detecting Devices (TDDs) Shrouds," the Defense Department said on Thursday.

The Department of Defense also reported that it had approved the sale of 46 heavyweight torpedoes.

"The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the United States for forty-six (46) MK 48 Mod 6AT Heavyweight Torpedoes (HWT)," the release said.