Taiwan has problems with US arms purchases
MH-60R helicopters in the service of the US military – Photo: US Department of Defense
Information given by Mr. Chiu during a hearing before lawmakers Taiwan day 5-5. According to Reuters news agency, when asked about arms contracts with the US, Mr. Chiu immediately mentioned 12 MH-60R anti-submarine helicopters.
“This type of helicopter costs too much, beyond our ability,” Chiu said, but did not disclose the price details.
Two other weapons contracts from the US that are also facing problems are the M109A6 medium self-propelled howitzer system and the Stinger man-portable air defense missile.
With the Stinger missile, the US is having difficulty speeding up the production line and ensuring a stable supply. This type of missile was supplied to Ukraine by the US and has proven effective on the battlefield.
“Buying arms is not a trivial matter. We already have a backup plan,” Mr. Chiu assured lawmakers.
According to him, Taiwan has contracted and paid for the Stinger missiles, so the territory will pressure the US to deliver as promised.
With the M109A6 howitzer system, Taiwanese officials said the US has proposed to replace it with a highly mobile multiple launch rocket system (HIMARS for short). Mr. Chiu said that Taiwan is still considering the US proposal and has not made a final decision.
According to Reuters, contrary to Mr. Chiu’s statement, Taiwanese media confirmed that the territory could not buy MH-60R helicopters because the US refused to sell, not because of the high price. The Taiwanese press revealed that the reason given by Washington was that this weapon was not suitable for Taiwan’s defense needs.
China’s Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry were not immediately available for comment. China considers Taiwan a part of its territory and opposes all high-level relations and contacts of countries with Taipei.
The United States does not establish formal relations with Taiwan but maintains arms supplies under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979. The act obligates US administrations to ensure that Taiwan has adequate defense capabilities. defense against potential attacks from the outside.
Relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait became tense after Tsai Ing-wen came to power. This leader advocated building Taiwan’s armed forces according to an asymmetric warfare strategy, developing new weapons with high maneuverability and precision strikes.
at Blogtuan.info – Source: tuoitre.vn – Read the original article here
