The Pentagon announced that Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract to provide Taiwan with military equipment.
According to a statement from the Pentagon, the contract “provides for the procurement and delivery of fifty-five Infrared Search and Track Legion Enhanced Sensor pods, processors, pod containers, and processor containers required to meet the urgent operational need of the Taiwan Air Force.”
The contract is expected to be completed by 2031 and is worth up to $328,500,000.
The development comes as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched military drills around Taiwan following the United States’ new weapons package for the country. “With vessels and aircraft approaching Taiwan Island in close proximity from different directions, troops of multiple services engage in joint assaults to test their joint operations capabilities,” said PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesperson Shi Yi. A press statement explained that the drills serve as a “stern warning” against “Taiwan Independence separatist forces and external interference, and a legitimate and necessary action to safeguard China’s sovereignty and national unity.”
Similarly, Boeing secured an $8.57 billion U.S. Air Force contract to produce new F-15 fighter jets for Israel. Twenty-five F-15IA aircraft will be developed under the contract, with production centered in St. Louis, Missouri. The jets are expected to be completed by December 31, 2035.
Meanwhile, Boeing describes the modern F-15 fleet as having a “sensor envelope that will provide efficiency and a comprehensive operational response to all missions.” The fighter jets also have “lower operating costs, longer-distance flight capability, better performance, and wider armament carrying capacity than ever before.” The aircraft will have the “most powerful computer flying” ability and a powerful radar.
