Taiwan's Reaction to PLA Force Modernization

Status
Not open for further replies.
P

Pointblank

Senior Member
Violet Oboe said:
In comparison with Japan and South Korea the financial dealings of the taiwanese government regarding her defense contracts are quite complicated and confusing. Perhaps Taipeh is reacting sometimes with stalling tactics because they do not want to pay a different (i.e. higher) price for similar equipment sold more cheaply to other US allies.

A report of the Stockholm based SIPRI institute maintained some years ago regarding Taiwan's defense deals of the 90's that only Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the VAE had been paying comparable high unit prices for their weapon systems. The case of the La Fayette type FFG's seems indeed to indicate that a high level of corruption had an additional negative impact on the bills eventually having to be paid by the average citizen.

After all this kind of intransparency about Taiwan's defense contracts led in part to the current situation since many legislators (KMT and DPP) have a certain reason for mistrust against the military bureaucracy in Taipeh. Before any new ´big deals´will go through the Yuan some kind of structural reform of the entire process of defense contracting will have to be implemented.
(Interestingly Chen Shui Bian promised initially to achieve this but apart from removing Chiang Kai Shek statues from the barracks he has achieved nothing really reforming in the ROCA...:coffee: )
Click to expand...


The problem is that Taiwan is in a real bind as to where it can get its weapons. Only the US is willing to sell arms to China, and it takes a lot of flak for it. Therefore, if there is a monopoly for certain goods, the monopoly can set an inflated price for weapons, and the consumer (Taiwan) can't do anything about it if they need weapons. The US recognizes this, and sees arms sales to Taiwan as a chance to put some money into its coffers.
 
F

fishhead

Banned Idiot
中國時報報導﹐ 臺立法院5月14日備詢時﹐空軍參謀長脫口說了一句﹕臺灣的幻象戰機妥善率竟然只有五成﹐這讓藍營立委痛批﹐政府一直在砸大錢買新飛機﹐卻又不願意掏錢維修來提高妥善率﹐實在是害死人﹗

國軍幻象戰機妥善率只有54%﹐也就是50多架幻象機種﹐竟然只有一半可以執行出勤任務﹐藍營立委痛批﹐民進黨花錢買新機卻不願付錢維修﹐實在害死人。林郁方﹕「在民進黨政府壓迫之下﹐又要再花1600億去買66架F16-CD﹐ 為什麼現有的飛機不好好維修﹐又要編一大筆預算去買新的飛機﹖」

臺灣幻象戰機都必須向法國購買﹐不管是維修還是更改裝置﹐都需要回歸原生產國時間很難掌控﹐要維持每架軍機都有足夠零件更換﹐只好留下一半軍機備用﹐以便拆這機補那機。

Taiwan's "China Time" reports that, ROCAF chief staff told Taiwan parliament that only half of their mirage 2000 fleet are operational. The repairing and maintenance are very expensive, so parts of the grounded mirage 2000 are used for those still in operation.
 
D

Deleted member 675

Guest
fishhead said:
Taiwan's "China Time" reports that, ROCAF chief staff told Taiwan parliament that only half of their mirage 2000 fleet are operational.
Click to expand...

It's 54% of the single-seater jets - the two-seaters are at 75% "availability". In fact I don't know if there's a difference between "operational" and "available", the latter being what I've seen in various publications. It might be important when it comes down to how long it would take to get the other planes ready for combat.
 
crobato

crobato

Colonel
VIP Professional
That sounds like cannibalization. It will take a while to bring the cannibalized planes up to snuff.
 
A

adeptitus

Captain
VIP Professional
Here's a recent article on the ROCAF testing aircraft take-off/landing on the island's highways:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


I recall when I was young and traveling on the freeway, my uncle mentioned that the "center divider", which looked like bunch of rods sticking out of the ground, were made to be easily removed so the highway can be converted into aircraft runway during times of war. However prior to this exercise I don't think they tested landing F-16's on them.

As for the Mirage-2000's avail question, here's a quote from recent Taipei Times article:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!


Liu told Lin that maintenance was important, noting that of the 11 Mirage-2000 single-seat fighters in the Air Force, five are on stand-by while the rest are under maintenance. There are 33 two-seater Mirages in service all the time, he said, while the rest are undergoing maintenance.

"I must say, I am not satisfied with the figures but, I must also say that our maintenance for aircraft remains normal," Liu said.

Taiwan used to have 60 Mirage-2000s -- 48 two-seaters and 12 single-seat aircraft -- but three of the two-seaters and a single-seat Mirage have been lost in crashes since 1999.
 
S

SinoForce

New Member
crobato said:
And who is not to say who is stupid enough to start a war with China in the first place.
Click to expand...
Uh, maybe you haven't noticed but wars have been fought against china all throughout her history, heck the chinese like to fight each other if left to their own devices.
Lol, and what makes you think they would get involved?
Click to expand...
Nations will act in their self-interest and defeating chinese military aggression falls under that category.
 
Roger604

Roger604

Senior Member
SinoForce said:
Nations will act in their self-interest and defeating chinese military aggression falls under that category.
Click to expand...

China can go through the whole range of escalation actions if necessary.

Few nations in East Asia are foolish enough to provoke China. They are too small and will bear the brunt of any conflict.
 
Last edited:
G

goldenpanda

Banned Idiot
Taiwan has no time to waste. What it needs to do is create a pro-active unification plan, on its own terms. It should aim to do the following:

- increase military spending 40%/year, until reaching 10% of GDP
- stock up with 12 months of high caloric food for the entire population
- block every meter of beach with steel pikes
- purchase or build 10,000 pieces of heavy artillery, fortify them inside mountains like north korea
- seek to maintain an open shipping corridor on its *eastern* coast, by acquiring or developing long range anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine torpedoes (riding on UAV's)
- spend what's left on fortified air defense batteries

The offer to PRC is federal union. PRC can build bases in Taiwan, tax 1% of Taiwan's GDP, fly the five star flag. Taiwan keeps its republican flag and institutions, including military. Taiwan conducts its own diplomacy, with PRC having "post facto" veto. (this is an interesting idea that just came to me. for example, Taiwan can sign its own trade agreement with Japan, but PRC has 90 days to revoke it AFTER the fact)

Every ten years PRC can submit any wish for changes for referendum by the Taiwan public. 80% approval is needed to pass.


Push this offer every four years starting from 2008, during the US presidential election.
 
Last edited:
A

AmiGanguli

Junior Member
Goldenpanda: that would be suicide. First, they'd be provoking a preemptive attack, second, they can't possibly win an arms race with the mainland.

Taiwans's GDP is about US$360 Billion, growing at about 4.5%/year. The PRC's GDP is US$2.5 Trillion, growing at about 10.5%/year. (And that doesn't take into account PPP adjustment.) For every weapon Taiwan purchases, the PRC can afford at least seven.

The current strategy is a good one. Build strong economic ties and make any deviation from the status quo too painful to contemplate seriously. The PRC has no incentive to rock the boat.
 
f.hind

f.hind

New Member
Interesting concept. I don't believe the PRC would ever allow Taiwan to write the terms of any settlement between them, although something like this would be an excellent strategic "stepping-stone" for the PRC, as it would kill off any ideas of Taiwanese sovereignty for good. Perhaps as a last resort for taiwan in the future in the face of overwhelming PLA superiority, but I don't imagine this will happen.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top