Another new U.S. weapon system has been approved for sale to Taiwan. However, some are questioning whether the proposed sale will raise or lower tensions in the region.
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F-16s flown by the Taiwan Air Force may soon be equipped with a new loadout: infrared search and track (IRST) systems. These systems can track the tail flame of aircraft and missiles, and even send that information to on-board weapons to assist with target locking.
That’s because the United States government approved a possible sale of IRST systems to Taiwan at a value of about US$500 million on Wednesday. However, the announcement is not taking place in a vacuum.
China recently announced live-fire drills will take place near Fuzhou, China following Vice President Lai Ching-te’s transits through the U.S. Some are asking if China will respond with even more military actions in response to the potential new purchase.
In addition, the cabinet is finalizing a new military budget this week which is expected to increase to 2.5% of GDP. Deputy secretary-general to the president Alex Huang (黃重諺) says that while high, regional neighbors such as Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines have all also reached new highs in military spending. He asks, should they all be considered provocative to China?
Whether the spending is provocative or not, the new purchases do reflect the trend of increasing defense spending around the region.