WASHINGTON - US, Taiwanese and Japanese forces will share real-time data from reconnaissance drones to strengthen coordination, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the project.

Late in the Trump presidency, the United States announced more than US$5 billion (S$6.7 billion) in arms sales to Taiwan, including four aerial drones worth US$600 million, meant to upgrade the island’s capabilities and discourage a Chinese invasion.

The FT said Washington would allow those aircraft to integrate into the system that US forces in the region and the Japanese Self-Defence Force will use.

The report added that this would enable the US and its partners to simultaneously observe all the information gathered by the unmanned aerial vehicles. REUTERS