Without completed infrastructure and training, the expedited sale of new F-16s from the US could become a burden rather than a help, a military official said yesterday.
Reuters on Thursday last week reported that Washington is looking to accelerate the delivery of 66 new F-16C/D Block 70 aircraft in response to what it sees as increasing intimidation by Beijing.
Under the terms of the original US$8 billion deal signed in 2019, the US is expected to deliver a single-seater and double-seater for testing next year, then deliver the 66 new aircraft in batches of four or five from 2024 to 2026.
Photo: Bloomberg
The officials cited by Reuters had not yet figured out how to expedite the delivery, which would likely delay deliveries to other US partners facing threats from Iran and Russia.
However, a military official yesterday played down the significance of the move, as it would still take time to build out the necessary infrastructure and train personnel.
In particular, facilities at Chihhang Air Base in Taitung County where the jets would be stationed are still under construction, the former air force general said on condition of anonymity.
Rather than acquiring new aircraft earlier than planned, it would be better to accelerate upgrades of older F-16A/B aircraft, as well as radar systems for Mirage 2000s and Indigenous Defense Fighter jets, as it would be more useful against the Chinese threat, the military official said.
Apart from construction, pilots and support personnel are still being trained, retired air force lieutenant general Chang Yan-ting (張延廷) said, adding that accepting deliveries too early would be like “changing your clothes while wearing them.”
The Block 70 might use the same radar system as the F-16A/B Block 20, but since the engines are not the same, it would force trainees and ground mechanics to “burn the candle at both ends,” learning multiple systems at once, he added.
It would be good to receive the planes as fast as possible, as the US air force is quickly replacing its F-16s, but the key to countering hostile threats is to keep personnel, logistics and infrastructure ahead of the curve, Chang said.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research senior analyst Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) was more upbeat on the accelerated schedule, saying that early delivery would allow pilots to familiarize themselves with the newest aircraft along with the newly upgraded F-16A/Bs.
DEFENSE: The National Security Bureau promised to expand communication and intelligence cooperation with global partners and enhance its strategic analytical skills China has not only increased military exercises and “gray zone” tactics against Taiwan this year, but also continues to recruit military personnel for espionage, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday in a report to the Legislative Yuan. The bureau submitted the report ahead of NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen’s (蔡明彥) appearance before the Foreign and National Defense Committee today. Last year, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted “Joint Sword-2024A and B” military exercises targeting Taiwan and carried out 40 combat readiness patrols, the bureau said. In addition, Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s airspace 3,070 times last year, up about
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
RSS