China has said the US approval of a $600 Million MQ-9B Armed-reconnaissance Drone sale to Taiwan will pose no threat to the mainland as its weapons have a limited range and the slow-flying drone itself can be easily tracked.
“The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO) of four Weapons-ready MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft for an estimated cost of $600 million,” a Pentagon announcement said Tuesday.
Chinese media said Tuesday that the US-made drones will not enable the military on the island to rival the Chinese Army, and the arms sale mainly serves as a card in the US presidential election with Taiwan being used as a tool.
TECRO has requested to buy four Weapons-Ready MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft; Ground Control Stations; Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigations Systems; MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems and spares; SeaVue Maritime Multi-Role Patrol Radars; SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures Systems and ground terminals.
Significantly the package does not include missiles that go with the armed drones. The missiles could be part of another sale in future.