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Subject: US Oks Harpoon Sale To Taiwan
Softwar    8/28/2008 9:34:29 AM
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-missiles28-2008aug28,0,6266341.story?track=rss Washington will sell $90 million worth of anti-ship missiles to Taiwan, ending what some analysts said has been a U.S. freeze on arms sales that was designed to ease cross-strait tension between China and Taiwan. The Department of Defense has given the go-ahead for the purchase of 60 Harpoon Air Launch missiles made by McDonnell Douglas Corp. for delivery in 2009, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported Wednesday. The announcement comes at a time of improved relations between China and Taiwan. Since taking office in May, Taiwanese President Ma Ying- jeou has pledged to improve economic and political relations with China even as he has promised to maintain the island's defense capabilities. The Harpoon missile deal is in addition to a $12-billion arms package sought for Taiwan that has been stalled for years. "This sends a message that Washington is committed to Taiwan's defense," said Andrew Yang, secretary-general of the Chinese Council of Advanced Policy Studies, a think tank in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital. "And with some sort of framework for improved cross-strait relations under consideration, Taiwan needs to bargain from a position of strength."
 
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warpig       8/28/2008 3:20:13 PM
Not the sort of missile typically carried by F-16s or M-2000s.  Did that sale of P-3Cs get approved already?  If not, I'd say it's on its way.
 
 
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YelliChink       8/28/2008 3:53:44 PM

Not the sort of missile typically carried by F-16s or M-2000s.  Did that sale of P-3Cs get approved already?  If not, I'd say it's on its way.

 


ROCAF F-16A/B can carry Harpoon. Those batch are for ROCAF order. ROCN air corps will P-3C fleet and they will have to buy or "borrow" through ROC MOD.
 
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warpig       8/28/2008 5:04:59 PM
Interesting.  Does ROCAF already have Harpoon in its inventory?  Otherwise it seems odd they would be integrated, since it seems to me that's not a typical weapon for F-16s--and I'm a bit surprised that's one we'd previously cleared for sale to Taiwan (being fairly useful in an "offensive" role, and we wouldn't want to scare the PRCs, you know).  Oh well, live and learn.
 
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YelliChink       8/28/2008 8:05:29 PM

Interesting.  Does ROCAF already have Harpoon in its inventory?  Otherwise it seems odd they would be integrated, since it seems to me that's not a typical weapon for F-16s--and I'm a bit surprised that's one we'd previously cleared for sale to Taiwan (being fairly useful in an "offensive" role, and we wouldn't want to scare the PRCs, you know).  Oh well, live and learn.

Air launched harpoons are already in ROCAF inventory. They've been shot these things in the exercises. These are upgraded model to refill the inventory consumed during exercises.
 
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warpig       8/28/2008 8:40:01 PM
Awesome.  In that case, I hope Taiwan buys a few hundred more--they'll need them all if the PLAN comes a-knockin'.
 
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