US awards AGM-154C contract for Taiwan

Acquisition of the AGM-154C Block III missiles will allow Taiwan to augment its asymmetrical warfare capabilities. (Commonwealth of Australia)

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Raytheon Missile Systems a USD68.4 million contract to produce AGM-154C Block III Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) air-to-ground missiles for Taiwan.

Under the contract, Raytheon Missile Systems will produce and deliver 50 AGM-154C Block III missiles for Taiwan over the next four years. The work on this batch of missiles is expected to be concluded before March 2028, the US DoD said in a statement on 2 February. According to the DoD, the contract was awarded on 31 January.

The missiles are part of an arms sale originally approved by the US State Department on 29 June 2017 for use with the Republic of China Air Force's (RoCAF's) Lockheed Martin F-16V fleet. The AGM-154C Block III missile is a 1,000 lb-class glide weapon capable of being used against land and sea targets.

The JSOW was included in Donald Trump administration's first proposed weapons sales to Taipei in June 2017. This Foreign Military Sales (FMS), approved by the US State Department, covered an initial number of 54 AGM-154 JSOWs plus related equipment and support at a price of US185.5 million. It included spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, training and training equipment, and other related elements of logistical and programme support.