US Department of State approves sale of arms shipments to Taiwan

The US State Department has approved the potential sale of 40 155mm M109A6 Medium Self-Propelled Howitzer artillery systems to Taiwan in a deal valued at up to $750 million, the Pentagon said, Report informs referring to Reuters.

The package would include the howitzers, 1,698 precision guidance kits for munitions, spares, training, ground stations, and upgrades for Taiwan’s previous generation of howitzers, the Pentagon said.

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on August 4.

Taiwan’s defense ministry expressed “sincere gratitude” to the US government in a statement on August 5, saying the sales would help its ground forces increase their “capacity for speedy reaction and fire support.”

The ministry called the continuous US arms support a “basis for maintaining regional stability.”