Aero_Wing_32
Junior Member
... and in modern submarines? Central element in taiwanese's military deterrence.
Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.
- Thread starter Gollevainen
- Start date
Aero_Wing_32
Junior Member
06/24/2011
Ma calls on US to sell Taiwan advanced fighter jets for 19th time
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President Ma Ying-jeou is calling on the United States to sell Taiwan F-16 C/D fighter jets. Ma was speaking on Friday to chairman of the US-Taiwan Business Council, Paul D. Wolfowitz.
"I have previously urged the US to sell F-16 C/D to the Republic of China [on Taiwan] for 18 times. This is the 19th time," said Ma. "We hope that some progress could be made in this area so that we can defend Taiwan and maintain peace in the region. We hope that while we improve relations with Mainland China, we can still ensure our national security."
Ma said although Taiwan and the US do not have formal diplomatic relations, the two sides have had close cooperation in security issues. He thanked Washington for approving two arms packages to Taiwan in 2008 and 2010. But he said he hopes Taiwan can buy F16 C/D fighter jets to upgrade its aging air force fleet.
Taiwan's defense ministry said the US has yet to approve Taiwan's request to buy F-16 C/D fighter jets. But the ministry said Washington has approved Taiwan's request to upgrade its F-16 A/B jets.
I still don't understand both MA's communication and strategy towards a modernization of the overall taiwanese airforce.
But KMT has blocked funding for those deals in legislature before, so go figure.
They can't defend Jinmen and Ma-zu even if US sell them F22s.
Jin-Men is the only county where the pro-independence party won the county governorship.
Mr T
Senior Member
I don't agree with that. Not every political party in the world blocks something because they can. And the DPP have never had a legislative majority, so you can't look at form. But when it comes to arms purchases I don't think that's one think they now would block. They know China's the enemy, whereas the KMT are still in la-la-land and in past years have made mountains out of molehills about Japan's actions, whilst frequently downplaying or ignoring things that China does.
MwRYum
Major
What I'm talking about is the whole "who gets the credit" thing...it's really childish bickering in macro sense, but you're talking about politics powerplay in this after all.
Aero_Wing_32
Junior Member
Taiwan upgrades fighter jets
Agence France-Presse
3:11 pm | Sunday, June 26th, 2011
TAIPEI – Taiwan will this week receive its first batch of a fleet of Indigenous Defensive Fighters upgraded as part as part of a $587 million project to beef up air defenses, officials said Sunday.
An unspecified number of the domestically-manufactured jets are scheduled to be delivered in central Taichung city Thursday, an air force spokesman said.
The defense ministry is spending Tw$17 billion (US$587 million) upgrading 71 IDFs, or nearly half of the fleet based in the southern Tainan air base, as part of a four-year project which began in 2009.
“The rest of IDFs may or may not be upgraded, contingent upon our future budget,” the spokesman told AFP.
The retro-fitted jet will be armed with four locally made air-to-air missiles, up from two, and ground attack bombs and missiles, experts say, adding that its radar, electronic fighting system and mission computer have also been enhanced.
The air force had been reluctant to give the green light to the project, first presented by the island’s sole aircraft-maker Aerospace Industrial Development Corp in the early 2000s, experts said.
But Taiwan fast-tracked the upgrade in 2008 after the United States refused to sell the island F16C/D jets or upgrade its F16A/Bs.
Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou, the architect warming ties with Beijing over the past three years, renewed his call on the United States to sell F-16C/Ds while meeting visiting Paul Wolfowitz, a former US deputy secretary of defence, in Taipei Saturday.
The United States last year approved $6.4 billion in weapons for Taiwan, including Patriot missiles and Black Hawk helicopters. But the package did not include fighter jets, which Taiwan believes are necessary to close the gap as China rapidly boosts its military budget.
China angrily protested the package, temporarily cutting defense ties with the United States. Beijing considers Taiwan – where the mainland’s defeated nationalists fled in 1949 – to be a territory awaiting reunification.
