The United States Department of State announced on Wednesday that it gave the green light for the sale of fighter aircraft equipment to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US, Taiwan's de facto embassy.
The $500 million package will include "F-16 Infrared Search and Track (IRST) systems and related equipment," and will not "alter the basic military balance in the region," according to the State Department. "This proposed sale serves U.S. national, economic, and security interests by supporting the recipient's continuing efforts to modernize its armed forces and to maintain a credible defensive capability" and by helping maintain "political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region," Washington added.
Lockheed Martin Corporation was identified as the principal contractor in the agreement.