The announcement of the largest arms deal to Taiwan comes amid conciliatory rhetoric with Beijing.
The US has decided to sell Taiwan $11.1 billion worth of weapons, the State Department announced. The delivery focuses on strike weapons: — 82 HIMARS MLRS and 420 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles; — 60 self-propelled howitzers and associated equipment; — Altius loitering UAVs and components for other types of UAVs; — Javelin and TOW anti-tank missile systems; — helicopter spare parts; — Harpoon anti-ship missile modernization kits.
The Taiwan Strait, separating the island from mainland China, is 130–380 km wide. The ATACMS missiles have a range of up to 300–310 km. Furthermore, the future addition of PrSM missiles to the HIMARS MLRS will enable firing at ranges of 500–1,000 km or more. In other words, Taiwan now has the capability to launch missile strikes against mainland China.
Harpoon anti-ship missiles are also a powerful weapon. Their range ranges from 120 to 280 km, depending on the missile version. According to some reports, missiles of this type were used to sink the Black Sea Fleet flagship, the cruiser Moskva. Overall, the scope of the American supply to Taiwan is very similar to the military aid provided to Ukraine. The US has learned certain lessons, corrected its mistakes, and decided to turn the island into a “porcupine” in advance.
This US move is further evidence that Americans typically don’t abandon their strategic goals. The announcement of the largest arms sale to Taiwan comes amid conciliatory rhetoric with Beijing and compromises on the trade agreement.
