Raytheon Missiles & Defense (RMD) has signed a contract worth over US$68 million (more than NT$2.14 billion) to produce and deliver 50 AGM-154 Block III C joint stand-off weapons to Taiwan. An announcement on the U.S. Department of Defense website on Friday stated that the order is expected to be completed by March 2028.
The U.S. and allies have grown increasingly concerned that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) will attempt military occupation of Taiwan in the coming years. Reuters recently reported that after the U.S. and Australian armies concluded their high-profile Talisman Sabre exercise in August 2023, U.S. officials have set up new arms stockpiles to remain in Australia.
Also known as glide bombs, the AGM-154 Block III C weapons are part of an arms sale finalized in 2017 under the Trump administration. Other components of the order include MK48 heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes, AGM-88B air-to-surface anti-radiation missiles, MK46 lightweight anti-submarine torpedo performance improvements, MK41 shipborne vertical launching systems, and more.