Taiwan extends Harpoon missile maintenance deal with U.S. to 2025
ROC Central News Agency
02/11/2022 06:55 PM
Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) A maintenance contract with the United States for Taiwan's Harpoon missiles will increase by over US$27 million after it was extended to 2025, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced Thursday.
The contract has been altered to cover weapons and related systems from a US$2.37 billion deal proposed in October 2020, with the price tag for the maintenance work rising from US$12.1 million to more than US$39.13 million as a result, according to the MND.
A military official who preferred not to be named told CNA that the extension to September 2025 had been made as the recently procured missile systems were not covered by the existing maintenance agreement.
The MND announced in June last year that Taiwan had signed two arms procurement contracts with the U.S. to boost the nation's defense capabilities.
Although it did not make public details of the two arm sale packages, sources at the time revealed one of them to be for Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS).
Included in the deal were RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II surface-launched missiles, four RTM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II exercise missiles, 411 containers, 100 Harpoon Coastal Defense System Launcher Transporter Units, and 25 radar trucks.
The deal will bring the number of different Harpoon systems within Taiwan's armed forces to four, as the Navy already has UGM-84L and RGM-84L Harpoon missiles that can be launched via submarine and frigates, while the Air Force has AGM-84L Harpoon air-launched missiles.
(By Matt Yu and Ko Lin)
Enditem/ASG
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