The $1.83 billion arms sale to Taiwan announced by the US on 16 December will probably be the last such package from the Obama administration before the 2016 US presidential election.
There is nothing unexpected on the list but it helps maintan Washington’s commitment to Taiwan, which has been trying to build up its defence forces for a long time. Items like 36 BAE Systems AAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicles and two Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates were revealed by Taiwan’s government long before the announcement.
A total of 769 Raytheon BGM-71F TOW 2B and 201 Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin anti-tank missiles
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