U.S. and Switzerland officials have formalized an agreement for Switzerland to purchase Lockheed Martin’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles and related support equipment.
Taiwan’s Patriot missiles are getting a maintenance package of NT$2.52 billion (US$84.1 million) over four-and-a-half years from the US, a notification about the deal issued by the Ministry of National Defense showed on Thursday.
The US Department of State in February approved the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s request to offer a maintenance package for Taiwanese Patriot PAC-2/GEM and Patriot PAC-3 missile defense systems, said a defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
US-made Patriot missile defense systems are designed to shoot down hostile aircraft and ballistic missiles, capabilities that experts said Taiwan urgently needs amid China’s frequent incursions into its
US DEAL INKED: Next year’s defense budget would be NT$15.4bn higher than this year’s, while the long-term plan to service Patriot systems would cost NT$2.52bn, sources saidBy Lo Tien-pin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer