Reuters Comfirming Arms Sales to Taiwan

choi

Both news reports are from Reuters. Today's news first. My view is the two (formal) announcements are the same as the sales that Reuters reported in September, citing anonymous sources.

(1) Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom, Exclusive: White House Moves Forward on Two More Arms Sales to Taiwan - Sources. Reuters, Oct 20, 2020 (~12:30 pm EST).
https://www.reuters.com/article/ ... urces-idUKKBN26Y2JL
(paragraph 1: "The White House is moving forward with more sales of sophisticated military equipment to Taiwan, telling Congress on Tuesday [Oct 13] that it will seek to sell MQ-9 drones and a coastal defensive missile system, five sources familiar with the situation said")

Note:
(a) General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper
(b) Days ago I tried to understand what "coastal defensive cruise missile" was, and found nothing, not even name of contractor in US. My impression is it is under development, because this concept started only a couple of years ago. My puzzlement is what difference, if any, between this term and anti-ship cruise missile (using infra-red to seek out target, for example).

Radio Free China (RFA), in its Chinese-language website, says it is its own MQ-9B SeaGuardian.


(2) 路透社：白宫已请国会批准三项对台湾重大军售. VOA Chinese, Oct 13, 2020
https://www.voachinese.com/a/reu ... 201012/5618542.html
("这三项武器系统包括洛克希德·马丁公司制造的被称为 '高机动性火箭炮系统' ( HIMARS)的车载多管火箭发射装置、波音公司生产的被称为SLAM-ER的远程空对地导弹以及可将图像和数据实时从飞机传给地面站的F-16战斗机外挂感应吊舱")

, which is translated from

David Brunnstrom, Patricia Zengerle and Mike Stone, White House Moves Forward on Three Arms Sales to Taiwan: Sources. Reuters, Oct 12, 2020, 12:01 PM (updated Oct 13, ~7 am)
https://www.reuters.com/article/ ... urces-idUSKBN26X246

Quote:

(a) "Reuters broke the news in September that as many as seven major weapons systems were making their way through the U.S. export process as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on China.

(b) "The informal notifications were for a truck-based rocket launcher made by Lockheed Martin Corp called a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), long-range air-to-ground missiles made by Boeing Co called SLAM-ER, and external sensor pods for F-16 jets that allow the real-time transmission of imagery and data from the aircraft back to ground stations.

"Notifications for the sale of other weapons systems, including large, sophisticated aerial drones [ie, MQ-9], land-based Harpoon anti-ship missiles and underwater mines, to deter amphibious landings, have yet to reach Capitol Hill, but these were expected soon, the sources said.

Note:
(a) Lockheed Martin has no Web page for HIMARS.

High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) — M142. U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center (USAASC), undated
asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/ms-himars-m142/
("HIMARS is a C-130 [C-130 is military transport aircraft] air transportable wheeled launcher mounted on a 5-ton Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles XM1140A1 truck chassis organic/assigned to Field Artillery Brigades. * * * HIMARS is designed to support joint early and forced entry expeditionary operations with high-volume destructive, suppressive and counter-battery [hit enemy's artillery] fires. When firing GMLRS-Unitary precision rockets, HIMARS can achieve ranges of 70-plus kilometers, attacking the target with low-collateral damage, enabling danger-close fires (within 200 meters) in support of friendly troops in contact [my understanding is friendly troops are 200 meters from targets] * * * The HIMARS launcher provides 24-hour, all-weather, lethal, close- and long-range precision rocket and missile fire support for joint forces, early-entry expeditionary forces, contingency forces and field artillery brigades supporting Brigade Combat Teams")
(b) AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AGM-84H/K_SLAM-ER   
("is capable of attacking land and sea targets medium to long range (155 nautical miles/270 km maximum). The SLAM-ER relies on the Global Positioning System (GPS) and infrared imaging for its navigation and control, and it can strike both moving and stationary targets")