Taiwan is supposedly considering purchasing a substantial package of United States weapons, including the Aegis destroyer, to show US President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration it's serious about enhancing its defenses against China, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
To prove its determination, Taipei would probably seek the Lockheed Martin vessels, Northrop Grumman's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, additional Patriot missiles and may even request F-35 figther jets, according to several people familiar with the situation.
A senior Taiwanese national security official told the news agency "informal discussions" took place with Trump's team about the kind of arms package that would prove Taiwan's determination. Taiwan could seek to buy as many as 60 F-35 fighers, four Advanced Hawkeyes, 10 retired warships and 400 Patriot missiles, according to people familiar with the discussions.
