- The US intends to soup up Taiwan’s F-16 fighters with some AGM-154 glide bombs.
- Raytheon Missile Methods obtained a $68.4 million contract to construct 50 glide bombs.
- The order is anticipated to be accomplished in March 2028.
Taiwan’s fleet of F-16s is ready for an improve when it receives brand-new glide bombs from the US.
The US awarded a $68.4 million contract to Raytheon Missile Methods to construct and ship 50 AGM-154 glide bombs, per a discover from the Division of Protection on Friday.
Based on the discover, the AGM-154s will likely be constructed primarily in Arizona. The order is anticipated to be accomplished in March 2028.
The AGM-154s are often called “fire-and-forget” weapons that don’t require exterior steering after they’re launched.
Moreover F-16s, the glide bombs might be put in on a wide range of plane such because the F/A-18 Hornet and F-35 Lightning II.
Taiwan has a fleet of 139 F-16s and is ready to take supply of a further 66 F-16 fighters from the US.
The boosted fighters might assist increase Taiwan’s air defenses within the face of China’s aggressive strikes within the area.
China sees the island of Taiwan as a renegade province that is a part of its territory.
Throughout final 12 months’s APEC summit, Chinese language chief Xi Jinping reportedly advised President Joe Biden that China absolutely intends to take over Taiwan — a transfer that would end in a scorching warfare within the area.
