I have to disagree with some things said here lately. First of all, air supremacy is key to taiwan's defense. While long term taiwan is doomed anyway, if one wants to concentrate just on short term and wants to spend money the best way possible - investing in air supremacy would be a wise choice. Orions and subs are fine and all that, but if buying that is going to mean there will be less money to go around for new planes/missiles/sams - it will be a horrible waste. Rumored 66 new f16s would be great, if properly equipped, and it should be of greatest importance for taiwanese armed forces.
That being said, planes are no good if they can't get up in the air. I do hope (and expect, really) that if situation starts getting hotter taiwan has a operational plan to disperse the airwings around the island, operating from at least 20 or so bases, unlike peacetime 4-5 base count. Actually, something a la harrier or even jsf would be perfect for taiwan to endure the initial missile strikes from china. Sure, it'd require many more ground crewmen, it'd mean more money spent on upkeeping such dispersed network of airfields but ultimately it might pay off very handsomly.
But i digress. Taiwan does have 3 main types of planes today. We could look at them as complete systems - with their weapons, or just planes themselves. While in the former example i might agree that f16 with amraams might have a certain edge, it cant be said that your average taiwanese f16 is best air to air plane on taiwan. Lets forget about future orders of amraams. (Though they are sure to come) With 120 in inventory, and knowing their f16s can guide two amraams simulaneously, i would expect that usual air to air load for a taiwanese f16 is: 2 amraams, 2 sparrows, 2 sidewinders. That'd be enough for some 60 planes, with remaining 80 or relying solely on sparrows. It is also possible that the 60 planes would be very lightly armed, with just amraams and perhaps wingtip sidewinders - for hit and run attacks, leaving the sparrow armed f16s to do combat from closer ranges.
It is also my opinion that mirages are to be used exactly the same way - long range hit and run. Mirages arent as good for dogfighting anyway, their radards are better than f16s, they can guide up to 4 micas simultaneously and can carry at least 6 of them on any given mission, with plenty of micas left in storage. It is therefore clear to me that mirages would, in fact, be taiwan's premier air to air assets, as long as they can avoid close range combat.
Also, given the low amraam inventory, even the IDF might have a better chance in long range air to air than f16, given that the inventory of sky sword 2 is continuously rising and is counted in few hundreds. While quality wise it may or may not be as good as mica and amraam it would seem prudent not to place it any lower than aim120-a models. And that, coupled with 120 planes each carrying 2, some 4 such missiles - would be a force to be reckoned with.
OR screw the air to air, just maintain a numerous and widely dispersed awacs fleet which would be somehow directly integrated with SAM network - then invest in vast number of mobile sam launchers. That way at least there'd be less IFF problems. If it flies - its chinese.
That being said, planes are no good if they can't get up in the air. I do hope (and expect, really) that if situation starts getting hotter taiwan has a operational plan to disperse the airwings around the island, operating from at least 20 or so bases, unlike peacetime 4-5 base count. Actually, something a la harrier or even jsf would be perfect for taiwan to endure the initial missile strikes from china. Sure, it'd require many more ground crewmen, it'd mean more money spent on upkeeping such dispersed network of airfields but ultimately it might pay off very handsomly.
But i digress. Taiwan does have 3 main types of planes today. We could look at them as complete systems - with their weapons, or just planes themselves. While in the former example i might agree that f16 with amraams might have a certain edge, it cant be said that your average taiwanese f16 is best air to air plane on taiwan. Lets forget about future orders of amraams. (Though they are sure to come) With 120 in inventory, and knowing their f16s can guide two amraams simulaneously, i would expect that usual air to air load for a taiwanese f16 is: 2 amraams, 2 sparrows, 2 sidewinders. That'd be enough for some 60 planes, with remaining 80 or relying solely on sparrows. It is also possible that the 60 planes would be very lightly armed, with just amraams and perhaps wingtip sidewinders - for hit and run attacks, leaving the sparrow armed f16s to do combat from closer ranges.
It is also my opinion that mirages are to be used exactly the same way - long range hit and run. Mirages arent as good for dogfighting anyway, their radards are better than f16s, they can guide up to 4 micas simultaneously and can carry at least 6 of them on any given mission, with plenty of micas left in storage. It is therefore clear to me that mirages would, in fact, be taiwan's premier air to air assets, as long as they can avoid close range combat.
Also, given the low amraam inventory, even the IDF might have a better chance in long range air to air than f16, given that the inventory of sky sword 2 is continuously rising and is counted in few hundreds. While quality wise it may or may not be as good as mica and amraam it would seem prudent not to place it any lower than aim120-a models. And that, coupled with 120 planes each carrying 2, some 4 such missiles - would be a force to be reckoned with.
OR screw the air to air, just maintain a numerous and widely dispersed awacs fleet which would be somehow directly integrated with SAM network - then invest in vast number of mobile sam launchers. That way at least there'd be less IFF problems. If it flies - its chinese.
