• TomHardy@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    Lol I remember in 2020 Taiwan bought 4 MQ-9 Reaper drones for $600 million (money up front of course, they will be actually delivered in 2025 - will they even still be around at that time?). Then, when Russia shot down (or better “pissed down”) another MQ-9 drone over the Black sea, which Western news decried as pricey as 30 million…

    Some Taiwanese did some quic maffs then… to discover… Lmao US friends get US friends prices I guess

    • Fuckass [none/use name]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      The US is too scared to even recognize Taiwan as a real country and has to do backroom deals to sell weapons and conduct meetings, and somehow Taiwan sees the US as an ally lol. Countries like Cuba and North Korea have “allies” who are strategic with their support, but at least they’re not delusional and pretending that China and Russia will swoop in and save them if anything happens.

      • flipht@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Also included are MX-20 Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems and spares; SeaVue Maritime Multi-Role Patrol Radars; SAGE 750 Electronic Surveillance Measures (ESM) Systems; C-Band Line-of-Sight (LOS) Ground Data Terminals; Ku-Band SATCOM GA-ASI Transportable Earth Stations (GATES); AN/DPX-7 IFF Transponders; Honeywell TPE-331-10GD Turboprop Engines; M6000 UHF/VHF Radios; KIV-77 Mode 5 IFF cryptographic appliques; AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders; secure communications, cryptographic and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment; initial spare and repair parts; hard points, power, and data connections for weapons integration; support and test equipment; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.

        Training and support is a wide category that very likely accounts for the price tag.