The latest tender notice on the Government e-Procurement System shows that the air force signed a service contract with French Mirage jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation, costing more than NT$150 million (US$4.86 million). The three-year program would increase the lifespan of two-seater Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighter jets, which contain old technology, but there is a good reason for extending their service.
The Mirage 2000 is the mainstay of Taiwan’s air force. The Lockheed Martin General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons and the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, commonly known as Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF), have already completed their mid-life upgrades.
After the F-16s were upgraded, the air force asked France to upgrade the Mirage fighters, but due to pressures stemming from global issues at that time, it refused the request.
The 54 Mirage jets are often subject to calls for their decommissioning, due to their dated 1990s technology, the lack of available spare component suppliers, the difficulty of integrating them with US-developed systems and high operating costs.
However, this life extension program might have several advantages.
First, the program should buy time to further research and develop the Advanced Defense Fighter project and the procurement of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets. The government has already started the early research and development of the project, but it has not yet been scheduled, forcing Aerospace Industrial Development Corp, Taiwan’s leading aircraft manufacturer and defense contractor, to develop basic trainer aircraft as a backup. Taiwan has yet to receive approval to purchase US-made F-35s.
The upgrade program benefits not only Taiwan, but also France, as it can rebuild consumer confidence in French armaments.
France’s foreign and security policies are heavily influenced by Gaullism, which favors a centralized state and a united society. With this priority, France usually competes with other top military countries, such as the US, Russia, the UK and China, for the ammunition market while winning the favor of less developed countries. If Taiwan cannot receive any upgrades to the Mirage 2000s, this would adversely affect confidence in French armaments.
Manufacturers have started lobbying the US and Taiwanese governments to buy McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, F-16 and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. F/A-18 Hornets have been the focal point in Taiwan. If the upgrade program cannot be promoted and US aircraft are purchased instead, French armaments would shrink in the market.
Another benefit is that the program could save the arms procurement budget.
For the air force, which faces payment on the delivery of 66 new F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft, upgrading the older fighters is more economical than buying new ones. If France allows the program, it would relieve pressure on the budget, and old fighters would still be available.
Another factor is that when Taiwan purchased the Mirages in 1992, France only provided air-to-air missiles, but this upgrade program might solve this shortfall.
If the air force can extend the service lives of old combat jets and procure the air-launched Storm Shadow stealth cruise missile, which has an excellent performance record in the Ukraine War, the Mirage 2000s could have the same stand-off ranges as F-16s and IDFs.
With long-range strike capability, the Mirage 2000 jets can offer the utmost air power capabilities, increasing their effectiveness in defending Taiwan.
Chu-Ke Feng-yun is a university assistant professor. He blogs about military affairs./
Translated by Polly Chiu
The US election result will significantly impact its foreign policy with global implications. As tensions escalate in the Taiwan Strait and conflicts elsewhere draw attention away from the western Pacific, Taiwan was closely monitoring the election, as many believe that whoever won would confront an increasingly assertive China, especially with speculation over a potential escalation in or around 2027. A second Donald Trump presidency naturally raises questions concerning the future of US policy toward China and Taiwan, with Trump displaying mixed signals as to his position on the cross-strait conflict. US foreign policy would also depend on Trump’s Cabinet and
The Taiwanese have proven to be resilient in the face of disasters and they have resisted continuing attempts to subordinate Taiwan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Nonetheless, the Taiwanese can and should do more to become even more resilient and to be better prepared for resistance should the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) try to annex Taiwan. President William Lai (賴清德) argues that the Taiwanese should determine their own fate. This position continues the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) tradition of opposing the CCP’s annexation of Taiwan. Lai challenges the CCP’s narrative by stating that Taiwan is not subordinate to the
Republican candidate and former US president Donald Trump is to be the 47th president of the US after beating his Democratic rival, US Vice President Kamala Harris, in the election on Tuesday. Trump’s thumping victory — winning 295 Electoral College votes against Harris’ 226 as of press time last night, along with the Republicans winning control of the US Senate and possibly the House of Representatives — is a remarkable political comeback from his 2020 defeat to US President Joe Biden, and means Trump has a strong political mandate to implement his agenda. What does Trump’s victory mean for Taiwan, Asia, deterrence
The return of US president-elect Donald Trump to the White House has injected a new wave of anxiety across the Taiwan Strait. For Taiwan, an island whose very survival depends on the delicate and strategic support from the US, Trump’s election victory raises a cascade of questions and fears about what lies ahead. His approach to international relations — grounded in transactional and unpredictable policies — poses unique risks to Taiwan’s stability, economic prosperity and geopolitical standing. Trump’s first term left a complicated legacy in the region. On the one hand, his administration ramped up arms sales to Taiwan and sanctioned
RSS