The US State Department has authorized a potential $385 million sale of F-16 jet and radar spare parts to Taiwan, the Pentagon announced on Friday. The approval comes just ahead of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's sensitive trip to the Pacific.  

According to the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the approved sale includes $320 million worth of spare parts and support for F-16 fighter jets, as well as Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars and related equipment.

The State Department has also authorized a potential $65 million sale to Taiwan for enhanced mobile subscriber equipment and related support, the Pentagon announced, with General Dynamics being the primary contractor. 

Taiwan's Defense Ministry expressed confidence that the agreements would take effect within a month, stating that the equipment would support the operational readiness of its F-16 fleet and contribute to "building a credible defense force."

"Taiwan and the United States will continue to strengthen their security partnership and work together to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region," the Defense Ministry continued. 

This comes ahead of Lai's visit to Hawaii, then the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, and Palau, countries among the 12 that maintained relations with Taiwan. He is also expected to visit Guam. It is worth noting that Hawaii and Guam are home to two major US military bases. 

US drafts contingency plans for Taiwan

Washington has been reinforcing regional alliances, conducting regular deployments of ships and fighter jets in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea, actions that have drawn strong objections from Beijing.

In this context, the United States is preparing contingency plans for potential military deployments in Japan and the Philippines in the event of what it described as a Taiwan-related emergency, according to a report by Japan's Kyodo news agency. These plans will be part of the first joint operation plan set to be finalized in December, sources familiar with Japan-US relations revealed.

The plans reportedly include the deployment of a US Marine regiment equipped with HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) along Japan’s Nansei island chain, which stretches from Kyushu to Yonaguni, close to Taiwan.

According to the report, if a Taiwan contingency becomes imminent, temporary bases would be established on inhabited islands. This approach reportedly aligns with US military guidelines, which emphasize deploying marines in small units across multiple locations.

Japan’s role would primarily involve logistical support for the marine unit, such as providing fuel and ammunition. In addition, the US Army plans to station Multi-Domain Task Force long-range fire units in the Philippines, as per the news agency.

The Japanese and Philippine defense ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. While the US embassy in Manila declined to comment, the Chinese embassy in Manila stated it had "noted" the Kyodo report.