HONG KONG, February 5. /TASS/. The US Department of Defense has contracted RTX Corporation to deliver $68.4 mln worth of 50 AGM-154 glide bombs to Taiwan, the Taipei Times reported.

The bulk of the bombs will be produced at RTX plants in Tucson, Arizona, under a contract to be completed by March 2028.

The AGM-154 Block III bombs are designed to hit stationary and mobile targets as they could be used with the Taiwanese fleet of F-16 fighter jets.

Depending on the altitude, these weapons weighing around 450 kg can reach targets at a distance ranging between 22 km to 110 km. Among other things, this feature enables fighter pilots to destroy high-priority goals without flying into the enemy air defense identification zone. The bombs will be delivered as part of a package approved by the US Department of State in 2017 that also included the AGM-88 HARM (High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile).

In August, the Liberty Times reported that, last January, the Taiwanese Defense Ministry signed a $1.4 bln contract with the United States to deliver three long-range weapons for F-16V fighters. Though no details about the weapons were given, sources told the Taiwanese newspaper that the contract included AGM-88 HARM missiles, AGM-154 JSOW glide bombs and AGM-84H cruise missiles.

Taiwan has been governed by its local administration since 1949 when the remaining Kuomintang forces led by Chiang Kai-shek (1887-1975) fled to the island after suffering a defeat in China’s civil war. Beijing regards the island as one of its provinces.

The US broke off formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979 and established relations with China. While recognizing the One China policy, the US continues to maintain contact with the Taipei administration and provide weapons to the island. According to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the US has delivered weapons worth more than $70 bln to the island in the past few years.