Airforces

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #367 OCTOBER 2018 // 45

Airforces

Intelligence

‘In association with ....’

airforcesintel.com

HsinchuSongshan

Ching Chuan Kang

Hualien

Chiayi

Kinmen

Wuciou

Matsu

Makung

Tainan

Kangshan

Pingtung

Zhihang

Taipei

Taiwan

Taiwan Strait

East China Sea

South China Sea

China

Into the future

Taiwan’s government plans to

increase annual defence spending

by up to 20% by 2025. The

main focus will be on enhancing

existing surveillance and electronic

warfare systems and acquiring

new anti-missile systems plus

unmanned and combat aircraft.

Despite its aim to develop its

local defence industry and reduce

dependence on foreign countries,

Taiwan still heavily relies on the US

to modernise its military capabilities.

A major potential arms sale

announced by the US government

in June last year included 50 AGM-

88B High-speed Anti-Radiation

Missiles (HARM) and 56 AGM-154C

Joint Standoff Weapons (JSOW) to

bolster the Taiwanese F-16 fleet.

The Ministry of National Defense

has also put in a formal request

to buy an unknown number of

F-35B short take-off and vertical

landing (STOVL) fighters, which

would enable the ROCAF to

operate combat aircraft should its

air bases be targeted by missiles

during an attack by China.

But the sale is a sensitive subject

for the US government and would

likely have repercussions for

Washington’s relationship with

China. Chinese espionage is

another area of concern to the

Pentagon, which is reluctant

to entrust sophisticated US

military technology to Taiwan.

Upgrade programmes for existing

combat aircraft are still the quickest

and most cost-effective way to

raise ROCAF capability – with, for

example, the F-16V upgrade now

in full swing (see Headlines, p6-7)

since the F-CK-1C/D Brave Hawk

project finished last December.

The ROCAF has also shown

interest in enhancing its Mirage

2000-5 fleet. Various aspects of

an update package have been

discussed since June last year and

might include a life extension of the

current MICA and Magic 2 missiles.

Despite a limited defence budget

compared to China’s, and a

complicated diplomatic position

that makes weapon acquisitions

from abroad difficult, Taiwan

will continue to strengthen its

military potential with the aim

of achieving deterrence through

denial. Under this strategy, Beijing

would have to be convinced

that it cannot claim its island

neighbour by use of force.

Besides the need to improve

its defence capabilities, Taiwan

looks set to continue to seek

a constructive dialogue with

China to maintain stability

in the East Asia region.AFM

40-45 Taiwan AFM Oct2018.indd 45 10/09/2018 09:37:16