The US is giving Taiwan's F-16s a welcome boost of firepower with AGM-154 bombs as tensions with China ratchet up

Tue, 02/06/2024 - 04:02

A US-made F-16 fighter on a runway at an air force base in Taiwan.
Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images

The US intends to soup up Taiwan's F-16 fighters with some AGM-154 glide bombs.
Raytheon Missile Systems received a $68.4 million contract to build 50 glide bombs.
The order is expected to be completed in March 2028.

Taiwan's fleet of F-16s is set for an upgrade when it receives brand-new glide bombs from the US.

The US awarded a $68.4 million contract to Raytheon Missile Systems to build and deliver 50 AGM-154 glide bombs, per a notice from the Department of Defense on Friday.

According to the notice, the AGM-154s will be built primarily in Arizona. The order is expected to be completed in March 2028.