Taiwan has started negotiations with the US regarding the procurement of 66 F-16 fighter aircraft in order to strengthen its national defense, Deputy Minister of National Defense Ko Cheng-heng (
Ko's comments appeared in an interview published in Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun yesterday.
Ko was quoted by the newspaper as saying that the arms purchase bill passed by the legislature in the middle of last month -- which included funds for the acquisition of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft -- would help narrow the gap in military capacity between Taiwan and China.
Ministry of National Defense estimates show that the arms purchase will help maintain a ratio in military capabilities of 1:1.67 between Taiwan and China until 2035.
This ratio, Ko said, would allow Taiwan to defend itself.
The legislature has already made it clear it will pass a classified budget for the purchase of 66 F16C/D fighter jets, pending approval by the US, he said.
The F16C/D is an improved version of the 146 F16A/B fighter aircraft Taiwan currently has in its fleet.
Ko said the aircraft carrier that China plans to develop is not necessary for launching an attack on Taiwan.
Instead, Ko said, the buildup is incontrovertible evidence that China is trying to use its military expansion to develop into a global power.
The ministry has determined that since the beginning of this year, Beijing has increased its military activities in the East China Sea, Ko said.
Chinese military ships and aircraft have also appeared more frequently in the waters and airspace east of Taiwan since the beginning of this year, probably to collect intelligence, Ko said.
Ko expressed his hope for expanded military exchanges between Taiwan and Japan and praised the defense white paper recently issued by Tokyo.
He was referring to the report issued on Friday by the Japanese Defense Ministry.
The report expressed concerns over a lack of transparency in China's fast-growing military spending.
It also stated that China's military buildup was more ambitious than what would be required for it to enter into military conflict with Taiwan.
The annual report, approved by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet, argued that China's buildup of its navy and air force -- in addition to its interest in acquiring aircraft carrier capability -- was to enable it to project force outside its immediate boundaries.
The report also warned that North Korea has been improving its missile system so that it could cover all of east Asia and potentially reach the northern tip of Australia as well as part of Alaska.
Super Typhoon Kong-rey is the largest cyclone to impact Taiwan in 27 years, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Kong-rey’s radius of maximum wind (RMW) — the distance between the center of a cyclone and its band of strongest winds — has expanded to 320km, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張竣堯) said. The last time a typhoon of comparable strength with an RMW larger than 300km made landfall in Taiwan was Typhoon Herb in 1996, he said. Herb made landfall between Keelung and Suao (蘇澳) in Yilan County with an RMW of 350km, Chang said. The weather station in Alishan (阿里山) recorded 1.09m of
NO WORK, CLASS: President William Lai urged people in the eastern, southern and northern parts of the country to be on alert, with Typhoon Kong-rey approaching Typhoon Kong-rey is expected to make landfall on Taiwan’s east coast today, with work and classes canceled nationwide. Packing gusts of nearly 300kph, the storm yesterday intensified into a typhoon and was expected to gain even more strength before hitting Taitung County, the US Navy’s Joint Typhoon Warning Center said. The storm is forecast to cross Taiwan’s south, enter the Taiwan Strait and head toward China, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The CWA labeled the storm a “strong typhoon,” the most powerful on its scale. Up to 1.2m of rainfall was expected in mountainous areas of eastern Taiwan and destructive winds are likely
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday at 5:30pm issued a sea warning for Typhoon Kong-rey as the storm drew closer to the east coast. As of 8pm yesterday, the storm was 670km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻) and traveling northwest at 12kph to 16kph. It was packing maximum sustained winds of 162kph and gusts of up to 198kph, the CWA said. A land warning might be issued this morning for the storm, which is expected to have the strongest impact on Taiwan from tonight to early Friday morning, the agency said. Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and Green Island (綠島) canceled classes and work
KONG-REY: A woman was killed in a vehicle hit by a tree, while 205 people were injured as the storm moved across the nation and entered the Taiwan Strait Typhoon Kong-rey slammed into Taiwan yesterday as one of the biggest storms to hit the nation in decades, whipping up 10m waves, triggering floods and claiming at least one life. Kong-rey made landfall in Taitung County’s Chenggong Township (成功) at 1:40pm, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The typhoon — the first in Taiwan’s history to make landfall after mid-October — was moving north-northwest at 21kph when it hit land, CWA data showed. The fast-moving storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 184kph, with gusts of up to 227kph, CWA data showed. It was the same strength as Typhoon Gaemi, which was the most
RSS