Washington: The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of ammunition and logistics support to Taiwan in two separate deals valued at up to $440 million, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
Taiwan has asked to purchase 30mm ammunition, including high-explosive incendiary-tracer rounds, multi-purpose rounds and training rounds, for an estimated cost of $332.2 million, the Pentagon said.
The principal contractors will be Alliant Techsystems Operations and General Dynamics, it said.
Taiwan has also asked to buy a Blanket Order Cooperative Logistics Supply Support Arrangement for an estimated cost of $108 million, the Pentagon said.
The logistics arrangement will support the purchase of spare and repair parts for wheeled vehicles, weapons and other related elements, it said.
The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of both of the possible sales on Thursday.
In a statement on Friday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said the sales would boost the island’s resilience against China’s “expanding threats of military and grey zone tactics”, which it said has posed “severe threats” to Taiwan.
Taiwan’s defence ministry has said China continued to use “grey zone” tactics to test its responses, including sending drones, balloons and fishing boats to areas near Taiwan.
(Reporting by Eric Beech and Dan Whitcomb; additional reporting by Yimou Lee;)
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