Taiwan's Reaction to PLA Force Modernization

yea, you guys are probably right that a country 3 or 4 times the size of Israel(90+F-15) with 10 times the industrial output and a 300bn+ economy who builds its own aircraft and is the worlds leading chip manufacturer could never ever possibly maintain the F-15. How goofy of me for even thinking about the possibility of such scenario of SURPLUS discounted F-15 from the U.S going to the ROC. thanks all for correcting me.

crobato said:

Which is why I think the ROC is perfectly served with small and light fighters.

The Hornet is something to be considered because not just its STOL capability, but because with its folding wings, its easier to stash, store and take out of underground bases.

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I would say they're all basically paper war plan. Due to the terrain condition, Taiwan doesn't have much flat and straight highway mileages. And using highway is a big logistic problem, plus you have to stop the critical ground traffic(check Taiwan express way layout).

And if it really goes to the stage you're using highway as runway, the war is doomed already. Using underground base is also much of nonsense today, it made sense in 1960/1970 since PLA had no means to strike it. But today it has too many methods, the entry of the cave can be easily targeted and that turns the underground base into a grave.

In all past war histories, you see all these methods were actually used by losers.

utelore said:

yea, you guys are probably right that a country 3 or 4 times the size of Israel(90+F-15) with 10 times the industrial output and a 300bn+ economy who builds its own aircraft and is the worlds leading chip manufacturer could never ever possibly maintain the F-15. How goofy of me for even thinking about the possibility of such scenario of SURPLUS discounted F-15 from the U.S going to the ROC. thanks all for correcting me.

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LOL, the big problem is that China is not Arab world around Israel.

You move Israel to Taiwan's position, it will doom as well.

I really like fishhead's imaginative ideas.

As Taiwanese say, we are an unsinkable aircraft carrier. We are also a carrier that can't sail away.

Negotiations with the mainland and hammering out a mutually acceptable deal would prove the best solution for the security and wealth of all chinese people.

This year the people of Hong Kong will celebrate the 10th anniversary of their ´coming back into the fold´ and the vast majority of them will know both in their hearts and in their purses that this development was very beneficial for China, Hong Kong and for them as individuals. Today most people who went to Canada, US, Australia or the UK because they believed in western propaganda about communist China are at least acknowledging that their decision would have been different if they could have known how far Hong Kong has come since '97. During the last 10 years per capita income has risen nearly 40% in real terms and crime is down by a quarter (although population has grown by 15%). Additionally the standards of education, infrastructure and recreational facilities have improved dramatically and only comparing the skyline of '97 with '07 will convince everyone who has eyes to see. (Taipeh is dull... 101 and the rest is void ... )

P.S.:
This year Guangzhou will be the first mainland province to surpass Taiwan regarding aggregate GDP; how long would you prefer to drag your feet suffering from a sluggish economy? ...perhaps until Sichuan or even Shaanxi pass by? (eh, wait the skylines of Chongqing and Chengdu are more impressive even today...:rofl: )

utelore said:

yea, you guys are probably right that a country 3 or 4 times the size of Israel(90+F-15) with 10 times the industrial output and a 300bn+ economy who builds its own aircraft and is the worlds leading chip manufacturer could never ever possibly maintain the F-15. How goofy of me for even thinking about the possibility of such scenario of SURPLUS discounted F-15 from the U.S going to the ROC. thanks all for correcting me.

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Israel never had the bunker situation Taiwan faces, and Taiwan enjoys a budget aid umbilical cord that Israel has. A lot of what Israel enjoys now is paid by the US tax payer. Not Taiwan's stuff. And a lot of Taiwan's 300 billion dollar economy is tied to the Chinese mainland, because they export stuff made from factories they set up over there.

Sure, Israel is surrounded by enemies, but none of whom are as collectively organized, united with the technological and industrial resources as China. Israel never faced a problem of having hundreds, if not thousands of missiles landing on every airbase and city, or a potential opponent with over two thousand aircraft. The whole idea of using Scuds and assymetrical strategies only came forth when the Arabs realize they can never win over Israel conventionally.

Even then, the Six Day War, the October war in 1973, greatly drained Israel's financial resources and national reserves, and both are regarded as unsustainable, even from the winning side. The October War left the Israeli air force with a moral crisis.

The equivalent to Taiwan is Switzerland or Sweden. These two countries are pockmarked with underground tunnels and bases galore, with jets that can be hidden in those bases and pulled out to launch and land on highways. I would have considered that for Taiwan, the Swedish aircraft would have been absolutely perfect. Both countries are similar to Taiwan in the sense they have a bunker strategy.

Violet Oboe said:

During the last 10 years per capita income has risen nearly 40% in real terms and crime is down by a quarter (although population has grown by 15%).

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It's nice to see HK doing this well. I think they left the best parts of British legacy in place, then went about improving the city with a Chinese rigor.

Now when will they pay some taxes so we can beef up the naval garrison there. All of China's national projects HK has little role in them. I think that was the biggest mistake. Any arrangement with Taiwan must tax its GDP. That's how they can *earn* their spot on the chinese space station, and the seat on central committee.

I don't see them having any need to "tax" Taiwan, if Taiwan has to maintain its own police and military forces. The current economic relationship has been more than good enough. If you are taxing someone, you better be sure you offer government services to help justify that tax. This means not just military and police protection but also social welfare and other benefits of "socialism".

An interview with a retired major in Taiwan military force on a Taiwan newspaper.



Says the equipment maintainance and morale in Taiwan's military forces are very poor. He said only 20 out of 60 mirage 2000 still can fly.

szbd said:

He said only 20 out of 60 mirage 2000 still can fly.

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Either he's exaggerating or the report is wrong. A recent report said that only 50% of the one-seaters and 75% of the two-seaters were "combat ready" - nothing to do with whether they could fly or not.

If this is true the 'woh' the ROCAF have nothin on the PLAAF then. AICDF, F-16 an Mirage 2000 is the whole ROCAF fleet. Being that Mirage fleet is partially crippled the PLAAF will dominate the ROC skies then with technological superior and numerous fighters consisting of J-8/10/11 an Su-27/30, JH-7/A, an maybe FC-1/JF-17 depends.