Forum: F-16 News

This is a discussion topic for the F-16.net news article: "Taiwan F-16 Jet Fighters' combat capability under question". You can read the full forum discussion in the F-16.net forum.

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The Republic of China Air Force sent two F-16s and two AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters to sink a South Korean freighter that capsized off its coast last Thursday. Both missions failed to sink the ship, but the Ministry of National Defense still declared the mission a success.

Quote:

The ministry sent two F-16 fighter jets equipped with two 2,000 pound laser-guided bombs from an air base in central Taiwan to carry out the mission.

The fighters failed to complete the mission, with only "some" of the bombs hitting the target due to "relatively thick clouds."

Source: http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ ... 2003277837

Wow... that's embarrassing.

I didn't know we sold China any airplanes...

I'm having a hard time understanding this one.

If the ship contains toxic material why would anyone in there right mind want to drop bombs and fire missiles into it so as to get it to sink Doh

. I guess the environmental lobby will be up in arms about this Embarassed

Swanee,

swanee wrote:

I didn't know we sold China any airplanes...

Republic of China = Taiwan

We did it with an Oil Tanker a few decades ago... because of the position the tanker had ran aground in... there was no real way to contain the oil leak....

The solution: The RAF and Fleet Air Arm bombed the crap out of it until every last drop of oil had burnt away and there was nothing left of the tanker!

Asif wrote:

I'm having a hard time understanding this one.

If the ship contains toxic material why would anyone in there right mind want to drop bombs and fire missiles into it so as to get it to sink Doh

. I guess the environmental lobby will be up in arms about this Embarassed

Swanee,

swanee wrote:

I didn't know we sold China any airplanes...

Republic of China = Taiwan

I would think that exploding toxic material would be a huge enviromental threat...

And thanks for the update about RoC being Taiwan. It's been a few semesters since I was in geography 110...

[quote] I guess the environmental lobby will be up in arms about this [/quote]

Actually, ROC government EPA officials were on boats and ships near the South Korean freighter, and witnessed the ROCAF and ROCA's performance.
These civilian officials were surprised when the ROC military claimed the completed missions were tactical successes, because the bombs and missiles hit their target, or hit inside the accuracy radius of the munitions.
Bomb damage assessment was another issue. 8b

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/051029/19/2gwb3.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/051028/195/2gpig.html
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ ... 2003277837

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx ... 36412.html

"Lockheed Martin has 4-month window to secure F-16 sale to Taiwan"

06.19.07, 3:03 PM ET
AFX News Limited

WASHINGTON (Thomson Financial) - The Bush administration has about four months to decide whether to allow the sale of dozens of F-16 fighter aircraft to Taiwan, but some are predicting the US may not support the sale because of Chinese opposition.

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... /iufe.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... /itgz.html

2007 Taipei International Aerospace Technology and Defense Industry Expo, began on 16 August 2007.

http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/saigai/htm ... 97411.html

For comparison: on 9 November 1974, in Tokyo Bay, near Nakanose #7 buoy, a Japanese LPG tanker (Dai 10 Yuuyou Maru, 43,723 tons, 38 crew) and a Liberian freighter (Pacific Ares, 16,000 tons, 29 crew) collided, exploded, and caught fire.
33 killed. Eight wounded.

Dai 10 Yuuyou Maru was 227 m length. Had four big tanks and nine small tanks. Total volume was about 80,000 m2. Practically all full, at time of accident.

Could not extinguish fire, and the LPG tanker drifted into Pacific Ocean. JMSDF tasked with sinking it.

On 27 November, JMSDF ship fired at her, and did not sink.
On 28 November, bomb and torpedo hits did not sink her.
In afternoon, four JMSDF ships fired at her, and she sank, 20th day after accident.

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... 1bbd1.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... 1bafw.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... 1bafp.html

16 December 2008:
F-16 flight sim.
401st Composite Wing, ROCAF, based at Hua Lian AB.
The virtual reality of the flight sim covers Taiwan and a radius of 300 NM, which includes the Ryuukyuu air-space.
Flight sim costs NT$ 17,000 an hour. Actual flight costs NT$ 8.5 mil an hour!

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... 1m8bq.html

1 July 2009:
First, the rumour: in January 2009, a F-16B of 21st FS, 455th Composite Wing, ROCAF, based at Chia Yi AB, because its landing gear cracked, its landing was perilous. All F-16Bs were grounded, checked, and only 4-5 were available.
Second, the ROCAF clarified: one F-16B actually had landing gear problem. All F-16Bs were grounded, checked, and only one had that landing gear problem. The malfunctioned components were replaced, and sent to the US manufacturer for analysis.

Quote:

The ministry sent two F-16 fighter jets equipped with two 2,000 pound laser-guided bombs from an air base in central Taiwan to carry out the mission.

The fighters failed to complete the mission, with only "some" of the bombs hitting the target due to "relatively thick clouds."

Well you can't sink what you can't hit! Sounds more like an isssue with the weapons used, or just poor conditions to me. IE: "realtively thick clouds"?
What was the cloud deck I wonder? Could the pilots or the missiles "see" the ships (I would guess not). I think Taiwan might want to consider some satellite guided JDAM's, more training for the pilots (no offense intended to any fliers past or present) or both. Or they could just write it off as a training exercise (I do wonder how much of this is being exagerated).

1 October 2009:
F-16. 6719.
401st Composite Wing, ROCAF, based at Hua Lien AB.
During air-to-air gunnery training, fired its cannon, missed the ribbon target towed by a F-5E, but hit and broke the cable between the target and the F-5E.
The F-16 was flying closer than allowed, behind and below the target, and the cable lightly damaged the F-16 right wing top and bottom surfaces. It emergency landed.
It was subsequently repaired, and the pilot was punished.

The F-5E was about 2,000' ahead of the F-16.

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... 1tgz3.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... 1thpd.html
http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/ ... 1th97.html