The Ministry of national defence of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on 17 June 2021 announced signed agreements with the U.S. government on the purchase line American program of the intergovernmental foreign military sales Foreign Military Sales (FMS) parties missile systems, Lockheed Martin M142 HIMARS (in the amount of 9.62 billion Taiwanese dollars or 346,3 million dollars) of moving and coastal anti-ship missile the Boeing Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS) (worth 39 billion Taiwanese dollars or 1,406 billion U.S. dollars).
Launch of the M57 ATACMS tactical missile from the M142 combat vehicle of the US Lockheed Martin HIMARS missile system (c) US Army
On the American side, the agreements were signed by the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), which serves as the official representative of the United States on the island. It is reported that the agreement on the purchase of HCDS was signed on May 19, and on the purchase of HIIMARS systems - on June 1. The exact number of purchased systems is not reported. It is indicated that the delivery of HIMARS systems to the armed forces of Taiwan should be made by 2027, and HCDS systems-by 2028.
In fact, the mobile coastal anti-ship missile system with RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II missiles, designated as Harpoon Coastal Defense Systems (HCDS), should be developed in the United States for Taiwan "from scratch", since such systems are not currently in production. Earlier, Taiwanese sources reported that the start of deliveries of HCDS complexes through the American FMS program is expected in 2023.
Recall that in October 2020, the Department of defense for military cooperation (Defense Security Cooperation Agency DSCA) has sent to Congress notice of the intention to put Taiwan on line 11 FMS combat vehicles М142 ground-based missile systems, Lockheed Martin HIMARS c 64 tactical missiles M57 ATACMS single-warhead (at the estimated amount 436,1 million USD), and 25 batteries coastal missile system HCDS, including 100 mobile launchers, 25 mobile radar stations and anti-ship missiles 400 Boeing RGM-84L-4 Harpoon Block II (in the estimated amount of 2.37 billion).
