Reuters exclusively reports Taiwan in talks to make first purchase of sophisticated U.S. drones

Reuters reported exclusively that the United States is negotiating the sale of at least four of its large sophisticated aerial drones to Taiwan for the first time, in a deal that is likely to ratchet up tensions with China. While Reuters sources said the sale of the long-range unmanned aerial vehicles has been tacitly authorized by the State Department, it is not known whether U.S. officials have approved exporting the drones with weapons attached. The SeaGuardian surveillance drones have a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 km), far greater than the 160-mile range of Taiwan’s current fleet of drones, potentially giving the island greater capacity to peer into China, observing its air force, missiles and other facilities.