The White House has advanced a proposal to sell $8 billion-worth of advanced F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, US senator Marco Rubio confirmed Friday.

Rubio, the Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, called the administration’s decision to forward Taiwan’s request for 66 F-16s to Congress for approval “an important step in support of Taiwan’s self-defense efforts.”

“It is critical that the US continue to enhance our strategic relationship with our democratic partner Taiwan through regular and consistent support,” Rubio said.

Manufacturer Lockheed Martin says the newest version, the F-16 Block 70/72, includes many avionics, weapons and radar technologies not in existence when earlier models were created, AFP reports.