Taiwan Military News Thread

[unknauthr]

Taiwan Approves Partial Arms Package

It appears that Taiwan's parliament has finally approved some, although not all of the arms package first discussed with the US government six years ago:

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This includes budget for P-3 Orion anti-submarine patrol aircraft, but not for the PAC-3 Patriot missile system, or the proposed diesel-electric submarines.

The budget also includes funding for the purchase of 66 Block 52 F-16 fighters from the United States - but with a four month timetable for confirming pricing and delivery data with the US administration. This narrow window may ultimately prove to be the undoing of this deal, while the US attempts to juggle between Taiwan's request and China's opposition:

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The Bush administration had also indicated previously, that they would NOT agree to discuss the F-16 sale, until the Taiwanese legislature acted on the original defense package that the US approved in 2001.

It's almost as if the Nationalist Party (KMT) wants the F-16 package to fail.

 

[Deleted member 675]

Re: Taiwan Approves Partial Arms Package

Please lock the thread and/or move the original post here:

http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/showthread.php?t=2466&page=7

Fu is correct, thread moved. Please post any news about the ROC(Taiwan) military in this thread.

 

[Deleted member 675]

Re: Taiwan Approves Partial Arms Package

The Bush administration had also indicated previously, that they would NOT agree to discuss the F-16 sale, until the Taiwanese legislature acted on the original defense package that the US approved in 2001.

It's almost as if the Nationalist Party (KMT) wants the F-16 package to fail.

1. Some commentators have said they expect the sale to be approved now the 2007 budget has been passed - it's unreasonable to expect Taiwan to buy everything in one go.

2. I don't see why the US would not agree to the sale within the next 4 months or so, but within 6 months or more. It probably will or it won't, end of story. If it won't after 4 months, it will probably take until after the US presidential election.

 

[bd popeye]

I don't see why the US would not agree to the sale within the next 4 months or so, but within 6 months or more. It probably will or it won't, end of story. If it won't after 4 months, it will probably take until after the US presidential election.

Fu, you better believe it..After October the 1st this year the purse strings will tighten whereas Mr Bush will be a real lame duck(cannot be re-elected) and the Democrats in congress will try to tighten their grip on the purse string of defense dollars.

 

[Deleted member 675]

Fu, you better believe it..After October the 1st this year the purse strings will tighten

Why would a tightening of the purse-strings make a sale of more F-16s to Taiwan more unlikely?

 

[bd popeye]

Why would a tightening of the purse-strings make a sale of more F-16s to Taiwan more unlikely?

The Democrats in congess are the ones in control of the $$$$. They are controlling the legestiature needed to spend defense dollars. Anything Pres Bush and the Republicans want to push through will have a very tough time. The Democrats want to push the defense dollars towards the GWOT(Global War on Terrorism). Not Taiwan, Isreal Turkey or any other nation.

 

[Deleted member 675]

The Democrats in congess are the ones in control of the $$$$. They are controlling the legestiature needed to spend defense dollars. Anything Pres Bush and the Republicans want to push through will have a very tough time. The Democrats want to push the defense dollars towards the GWOT(Global War on Terrorism). Not Taiwan, Isreal Turkey or any other nation.

Sure, I understand the Democrats are in charge of Congress, though from what I understand they're not unsympathetic to any of those countries.

But it's Taiwan that would be buying the F-16s, not the US subsidising them. So unless the Democrats actively opposed the sale of more F-16s to Taiwan (which I have no evidence to believe they do), why would their control of Congress be a problem? This is what I'm confused about when you talk about money - it would be Taiwanese money buying those jets, which in turn would secure more US jobs. The US itself wouldn't have to pay a cent towards the order.

 

[bd popeye]

Fu, the purchase of the F-16 has to be approved by congress. Who really knows what the Democrats want to do? They could stall the purchase if they want. If the democrats feel they can make President Bush and the Republicans look bad by stalling the ROC F-16 purchase trust me they will. However the Democrats have long been pro-ROC...So probally no worries.

 

[Deleted member 675]

Fu, the purchase of the F-16 has to be approved by congress. Who really knows what the Democrats want to do?

Of course, I just didn't quite understand some of the other points you were making. Ok, they could stall it, but they would need to justify it, else look either:

a) like they were acting out of spite and not looking "professional"
b) too pro-Beijing, in giving in to demands not to supply Taiwan

Either of those would damage their election chances next year. Maybe more importantly, the House of Representatives just passed an ammendment that would lift the restrictions on official contact with Taiwan - that would rather show the Democrats are still pro-Taiwan. If they want to win the presidency, they need to prepare the ground for a term of office, otherwise they'll create problems for themselves. That's why I think the KMT passed the Orion purchase and PAC-3 upgrades - they didn't want to win the presidency and then have the US snub them in terms of arms sales!

If there is any opposition, it will come from the State Department. I wonder who will win the argument - the State Department or the Pentagon. Maybe the Pentagon has the upper-hand as the reason the F-16 sale was first refused was down to stalling over the arms purchases. I don't think anyone can expect Taiwan to authorise $16-18 billion of weapons purchases in one go, so with the passing of the Taiwanese central budget that should take care of that. Still that might not be enough.

Tune in next week to find out! Same bat-time, same bat-channel!

Well, probably over the coming weeks/month, but you get the idea.

 

[Finn McCool]

Of course, I just didn't quite understand some of the other points you were making. Ok, they could stall it, but they would need to justify it, else look either:

a) like they were acting out of spite and not looking "professional"
b) too pro-Beijing, in giving in to demands not to supply Taiwan

Either of those would damage their election chances next year. Maybe more importantly, the House of Representatives just passed an ammendment that would lift the restrictions on official contact with Taiwan - that would rather show the Democrats are still pro-Taiwan. If they want to win the presidency, they need to prepare the ground for a term of office, otherwise they'll create problems for themselves. That's why I think the KMT passed the Orion purchase and PAC-3 upgrades - they didn't want to win the presidency and then have the US snub them in terms of arms sales!

If there is any opposition, it will come from the State Department. I wonder who will win the argument - the State Department or the Pentagon. Maybe the Pentagon has the upper-hand as the reason the F-16 sale was first refused was down to stalling over the arms purchases. I don't think anyone can expect Taiwan to authorise $16-18 billion of weapons purchases in one go, so with the passing of the Taiwanese central budget that should take care of that. Still that might not be enough.

Tune in next week to find out! Same bat-time, same bat-channel!

Well, probably over the coming weeks/month, but you get the idea.

In all likelihood this vote will go very quickly. A party operative/the party leadership will decide how the vote will go because I highly doubt that any member of Congress cares enough about an arms sale to Taiwan to make an issue out of it. The public doesn't know about it, it's not tied to the President, and its a party neutral foreign policy issue. So probably the Democratic leadership will be having a meeting discussing the upcoming legislation and they'll decide to approve it or not. It should be a very straightforward, party line vote. The Republicans wouldn't even really have a reason to oppose it so I see no reason why this purchase should fail to be approved.

What I really wonder is why Taiwan is buying more F-16s when it doesn't have enough missles for the ones it has. Or has that changed?