The U.S. government will conduct competitive bidding to select the principal contractor or suppliers for the potential $255 million foreign military sale of command, control, communication, and computers, or C4, equipment to Taiwan, which was approved by the U.S. Department of State on Friday.
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the FMS, requested by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington, covers 309 Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio Systems Variant 5 and related equipment services.
The proposed C4 equipment sale calls for the Taiwan assignment of five contractor representatives and five U.S. government personnel for up to one month to extend support services and technical reviews.
Sales Approval for $30M Gun Mounts
In another FMS proposal, DSCA said the State Department has approved TECRO’s request for 16 MK 75 76 mm gun mounts and related equipment, logistics and program support. Valued an estimated $30 million, the gun mounts will be sourced from U.S. stock and overhauled by the U.S. Coast Guard for the Taiwanese requirements. Assigning any U.S. government or contractor representative to Taiwan is not necessary for the gun mount FMS.
DSCA noted that both the C4 and gun mount request approvals support improving Taiwan’s defense capability and national security while maintaining the basic military balance in the region. Previous Taiwan FMS proposals approved in December include a $65 million request for tactical communication support and a $320 million acquisition of F-16 aircraft spare parts.