F-16.net

Elite 2K Joined: Oct 20, 2005 Posts: 2103 Status: Offline

This discussion thread is related to our F-16 news <a href="http://www.f-16.net/news_article2402.html">US has four months to approve F-16 sale to Taiwan</a>.

earthtimes.org wrote:

Taiwan official in US to seek purchase of 66 F-16 jets

DPA - Fri, 13 Jul 2007 02:42:21 GMT

Taipei - A ranking Taiwan military official is visiting the United States to seek the purchase of 66 F16C/D fighter jets, which the US agreed to sell to Taiwan in 2006 but is now dragging its feet, a newspaper said on Friday. The China Times quoted an unnamed military source as confirming that Huo Shou-yeh, chief of the general staff, has led a delegation to the US this week and is now in Washington DC to meet with US military officials.

Huo may run into US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates "by accident" and he would tell Gates that Taiwan has an urgent need to buy the F16C/Ds, the source said.

Taiwan does not have diplomatic ties with the US, therefore ranking US officials are not allowed to have formal meetings with Taiwan officials.

The purpose of Huo's secret visit is to seek the purchase of 66 F16C/D which the US agreed to sell to Taiwan in 2006, but is now delaying finalizing the deal, the daily said.

Taiwan needs to buy the F16C/Ds to boost its air defence against China which sees Taiwan as its breakaway province and has vowed to recover Taiwan by force if necessary.

The paper said that officials are confused as to why the US is delaying the F16C/D sale after it has told Taipei in private that it would sell the jets.

The US asked Taiwan to pass two budgets for the F16C/Ds before it could approve the selling the F16C/D, the China Times said.

Taiwan has passed both budgets, but still the US has not approved the F16C/D sale.

The paper warned that if the F16C/D sale is nixed, it may indicate the end of the "arms sales honeymoon" between the US and Taiwan.

The US, a long-time anti-Communist ally of Taiwan, switched recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but enacted the Taiwan Relations Act, pledging to continue to sell defensive arms to Taiwan.

If the US approves the sale of 66 F16C/Ds, it will be its largest arms sale to Taiwan since former president George H W Bush approved the sale of 150 F16A/Bs to Taiwan in 1992.

The F16C/D is an improved version of the F16A/B.

The Taiwan Air Force's fleet currently is made up of about 150 F16A/B, 60 Mirage 2000-5s and 130 self-developed IDFs (Indigenous Defence Fighter) as several of the F-16 and Mirage jets, which were imported from France in the 1990s, have crashed during while on training missions.

Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/82314.html

F-16.net Sponsor

Enthusiast Joined: Oct 19, 2006 Posts: 96 Status: Offline

The following is a selection of articles discussing the Taiwanese authorization to buy up to 66 new F-16C's:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... =sec-world
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx ... 36412.html

To give a quick summary: Taiwan's legislature has been paralyzed for the past several years by bitter fueds between the Nationalist Party (KMT) - which controls the legislature, and the Democratic Progressive Party - which controls the Presidency.

The Taiwanese legislature has therefore failed to approve a far-reaching defense modernization package that was originally proposed by Taiwan's President, and approved for export by the US, back in 2001. This package did NOT include the talked about 66 F-16s.

So now, after six years of delay, the Taiwanese armed forces are finally clamoring for an end to the partisan bickering. They have watched their technology edge progressively erode while nothing was done to update their own arsenal.

The KMT - not wanting to appear soft on defense but also not wanting to capitulate to a DPP President - has approved SOME of the arms package originally proposed in 2001, and has added funding for up to 66 new F-16s . . . but only if a deal can be closed with the US administration within the next four months. That way, if the DPP runs into the band of red tape that typically surrounds Washington, the KMT can blame the US and the DPP for the lack of progress on an arms package (rather than taking the blame for it themselves).

I hate politics.

Quote:

I hate politics

preciselly why I've not commented on this thread.
(uh, I guess I just did, Bad Tim, BAD Tim) Embarassed

F-16.net Editor Joined: Sep 23, 2003 Posts: 2862

Yup. The previous deals have to be settled first before additional F-16s can happen.

F-16.net

Forum: F-16 News

66 F-16C/Ds to Taiwan?