Taiwan In Need Of More Advanced Fighter Aircraft Than The F-16

Taiwan may no longer want the F-16C/D it had earlier requested to buy from the United States even if it is granted permission. Taiwan has been seeking 66 F-16 since 2007, but the US has been reluctant to agree to the sale.

Taiwan now wants more advanced fighter aircraft than the F-16, which is probably not such a bad idea considering how the situation has changed in recent years.

China has added hundreds of modern fighter aircraft to its inventory with both the J-11B and J-10A having entered full production. It has begun flight-testing of two fifth-generation aircraft in the J-20 and J-31.

The J-20 may enter service before the end of the decade and against this backdrop, Taiwan may find it hard to compete against China with the acquisition of the F-16C/D.

For a long time, Taiwan held the edge against China in the air with one of the most potent air forces in the world. During the early nineties, it acquired 150 American F-16 and 60 French Mirage 2000-5. It also has 126 F-CK-1 Ching-kuo and 40 F-5 fighters.

During the nineties, it even had the second largest amount of fighters that could fire active radar guided medium-range missiles after it acquired the F-16 with the AMRAAM and Mirage 2000-5 with the Mica.

However, Taiwan has not bought any new fighters since and China has made rapid progress in the years after. The balance of power is rapidly shifting in China's favor.

The old F-5 will have to be retired within 5 years and the 56 remaining Mirage 2000-5 within 5 to 10 years. The new fighter aircraft that Taiwan is seeking will thus not only have to fill a qualitative gap but a quantitative gap as well.

Although the US has not agreed to any new fighters, it has agreed in 2011 to upgrade 145 F-16A/B as part of a $5.85 billion deal. The upgrades include new weapons and a Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.

Once these upgrades are done, they will effectively be the equal of the F-16C/D and in some ways, even surpass most of the F-16C/D currently in service around the world.


http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story/taiwan-wavers-f-16-deal-says-it-needs-more-advanced-fighter-jets-20130506

By Adrian Pingstone [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Taiwan to Begin Receiving P-3C Orion, AH-64E Apache and UH-60M Black Hawk

After some delay, Taiwan is set to finally receive the aircraft it had previously ordered during the first administration of President Ma Ying-jeou. The aircraft to be delivered by the United States include:

• a $1.96 billion contract for delivery of 12 P-3C Orion anti-submarine warfare aircraft to replace the S-2T patrol aircraft starting at the end of 2013
• a $2.53 billion contract for 30 AH-64E Apache attack helicopters to supplement the two existing squadrons of AH-1W Super Cobras starting in the fourth quarter of 2013
• a $3.11 billion contract for delivery of 60 UH-60M Black Hawk utility helicopters to replace the UH-1H utility helicopters starting in March 2014

The total value is around $7.6 billion.

The Lockheed Martin P-3C Orion is a four-engined turboprop, anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance aircraft with:

• a length of 35.6 m
• a wingspan of 30.4 m
• a height of 11.8 m
• an empty weight of 35000 kg
• a max takeoff weight of 64400 kg
• a max speed of of 750 km/h
• a max range of 4400 km
• an endurance of 16 hrs
• a max ceiling of 10400 m 
• 4 Allison T56-A-14 turboprop engines, 4600 shp each

The aircraft can be fitted with depth charges, torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and other air-to-surface missiles

By Los688 [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

By US Army [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

By US Navy [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Taiwan to Receive First 6 AH-64E Apache Helicopters in October This Year

Taiwan will be the first country outside the United States to operate the latest Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, when it receives its first 6 in October this year. All are expected to have been delivered by July 2014.

The 6 are part of the 30 AH-64E helicopters ordered in 2008 in a deal worth $2.04 billion. The AH-64E, formerly known as the AH-64D Block III, was selected over the AH-1Z attack helicopter.

The Boeing AH-64E helicopter:

• has a crew of 2
• a length of 17.73 m
• a rotor diameter of 14.63 m
• a height of 3.87 m
• a max takeoff weight of 10433 kg
• has a maximum speed of 365 kph
• has an effective combat radius of 480 km
• has 2 GE T700-GE-701D turboshafts, 2000 shp each

The aircraft can be armed with up to 16 Hellfire missiles or up to 4 Stinger air-to-air missiles and carries a 30 mm cannon with 1200 rounds of ammunition.

The Apache attack helicopters will join the 2 squadrons of AH-1W Super Cobras Taiwan currently has in service.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2013/01/14/2003552496

By Los688 [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

Taiwan Buys 2 More Oliver Hazard Perry-class Frigates

Taiwan plans to buy two warships from the United States as part of an effort to modernise its naval force amid a perceived military threat from China, defense minister Kao Hua-chu said on Monday.

The two Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, now serving in the US navy, will be delivered to Taiwan by 2015, Kao said in response to questions in parliament.

The two warships, estimated to cost a total of about TW$7 billion (US$240 million), will replace two of eight now ageing Knox-class frigates which Taiwan acquired in the early 1990s, Kao said.

The Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate specifications are:

• a displacement of 4200 tons
• a length of  135 m
• a beam of 14 m
• a draft of 6.7 m
• a speed of 29 knots
• a range of 8300 km at 20 knots
• a complement of 176

The ship is powered by 2 General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, each generating 41000 shp of horsepower.

The 2 additional ships will join 8 Cheng Kung class frigates, which are a locally build variant of the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, already in service in the Taiwanese Navy. 


http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1235324/1/.html

By U.S. Navy photo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons