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Taiwan may soon receive American high-precision cruise missiles AGM-158 JASSM with a range of 370 km. Washington does not rule out making a positive decision by the end of the year. This is reported by the Taiwanese press.
According to the publication "Ziyu Shibao" with reference to a military source, on August 28, 2023, the US State Department approved the supply of about 50 AGM-158 JASSM-ER (Extended Range) cruise missiles to Japan, and this may mean that Taiwan will follow Japan, which has been seeking from the United States for quite a long time deliveries of these cruise missiles.
A Taiwanese military official said on condition of anonymity.
As previously stated in the island's Defense Ministry, American high-precision cruise missiles AGM-158 JASSM are planned to be put into service with F-16V fighters to counter a possible invasion of mainland China. This missile is capable of hitting targets at a range of 370 km. Taipei would also like to receive an upgraded version of the AGM-158 JASSM-ER missile with an increased range of up to 1 thousand km, but this option is unlikely.
AGM-158 JASSM (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) is a high-precision air-to-surface cruise missile developed by the American corporation Lockheed Martin to defeat highly protected stationary targets in any weather and at any time of the day. All combat aircraft of the US Air Force, including the F-35, can act as a missile carrier, although it does not fit into the combat compartment of the new fighter.