AkhandIndia
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U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced new legislation that supports the sale of F-16 fighter aircraft to Taiwan and endorses a wide range of defense exports to the country.
Ros-Lehtinen's bill, called the Taiwan Policy Act of 2011, follows legislation introduced earlier this week in the Senate by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
Together, the bills represent a push being made by Taiwan supporters in Congress to get President Obama to approve an $8 billion deal for 66 F-16C/D fighter aircraft.
"In order to protect U.S. national security interests in the Pacific, we must ensure that Taiwan has the capability to defend itself from an attack or coercion by mainland China," Ros-Lehtinen said in a Sept. 14 statement.
The U.S. has rejected Taiwan's request for new F-16C/Ds since 2006. A $4.2 billion upgrade package for 145 aging F-16A/B Block 20s has also been on hold by the U.S. government since 2009.
U.S. House Legislation Urges F-16 Sales to Taiwan - Defense News
Ros-Lehtinen's bill, called the Taiwan Policy Act of 2011, follows legislation introduced earlier this week in the Senate by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
Together, the bills represent a push being made by Taiwan supporters in Congress to get President Obama to approve an $8 billion deal for 66 F-16C/D fighter aircraft.
"In order to protect U.S. national security interests in the Pacific, we must ensure that Taiwan has the capability to defend itself from an attack or coercion by mainland China," Ros-Lehtinen said in a Sept. 14 statement.
The U.S. has rejected Taiwan's request for new F-16C/Ds since 2006. A $4.2 billion upgrade package for 145 aging F-16A/B Block 20s has also been on hold by the U.S. government since 2009.
U.S. House Legislation Urges F-16 Sales to Taiwan - Defense News