US considering selling Taiwan new fighters, or are they?

Reports have emerged over the weekend that members of the Obama Administration have stated that they are considering selling new fighters to Taiwan. This, despite the same Administration rejecting Taiwanese requests for 66 new F-16C/Ds in 2011, instead opting for an upgrade of Taiwan's current F-16 fleet.

However, Craig Scanlan over at Asian Security Watch is skeptical of it all, believing that the whole thing is nothing but America communicating it's displeasure at what it sees as recent Chinese saber-rattling. Given the past history of Taiwanese "arms sales" from the United States, we're with Craig on this one in that we'll believe it when we see new American-made fighters landing at Ching Chuan Kang (or Hualien, or Hsinchu, for that matter)

Taiwanese S-70C crashes during rescue mission, 5 missing

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense has said that a Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) S-70C rescue helicopter has crashed into the sea 48 nautical miles southeast of Orchid Island on Monday night local time. The helicopter, serialed 7017, was on it's way to render assistance to a Taiwanese fisherman on a ship operating in the seas off Orchid Island who had suffered a heart attack.

Of the six crew, one nurse was rescued, but the remaining five crew members, including the pilot, deputy pilot, a medical officer, an engineer, and another nurse remain missing.

DSCA notification of Taiwanese F-16 upgrade; China reacts accordingly

Full details of the recently announced upgrade for Taiwan's Lockheed Martin F-16A/B Fighting Falcons, as released by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. AESA radars, AIM-9X Sidewinders and the associated Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems, advanced targeting pods (Sniper/Litening) and a variety of precision air-to-ground ordnance are included in the package. However as widely expected, Taiwan's request to purchase 66 later-model F-16C/Ds has been rejected.

Meanwhile, as expected, China's reaction has been swift (and follows it's regular script), with the American ambassador in Beijing summoned to receive an official protest from the Chinese deputy foreign minister.

VIDEO: Aerial view of Taiwanese RF-5E, F-5F crash site

Raw video taken from a helicopter of the site of the recent crash of the Republic of China Air Force RF-5E Tigereye and F-5F Tiger II two-seat conversion trainer. More details on the crash in yesterday's report.

RoCAF F-5F and RF-5E crash in eastern Taiwan; 3 pilots killed

RoCAF RF-5E of the 12th TRS/401st TFW. Photo © Hsu Chun-Yuan. Please visit his Photostream for high-res images.

Sad news from Taiwan. The Republic of China Air Force (RoCAF) has lost a RF-5E Tigereye photo-reconnaissance jet and a F-5F Tiger II fighter/trainer when both aircraft crashed into mountains in eastern Taiwan yesterday during a night training sortie. Reports this morning have indicated that all 3 pilots have been killed in the crash, which occurred near Su-Ao Township in Yilan County.

In a statement, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said the two jets took off from their base at Hualien at 7:39pm local time yesterday evening, with radio contact being lost at 7:48pm and both aircraft disappearing from radar shortly after, at 7:52pm. The RF-5E pilot has been identified as Captain Hsiao Wen-ming, 29 while the F-5F was crewed by Lieutenant Colonel Chang Chien-kuo, 41 (pilot) and Major Wang Hong-Hsiang, 36 (co-pilot). The RF-5E was flying in the lead, with the F-5F the wingman.

Fishermen from nearby coastal towns approximately 100km north of Hualien witnessed the aircraft flying along the Suhua Highway before hearing the crash and observing flames from nearby mountain peaks. The witnesses then notified authorities, which initiated a search of the reported area of the crash before locating the wreckage as well as the bodies of the pilots.


RoCAF F-5F 5401/83-0127 of the 12th TRS/401st TFW. This is reportedly the F-5F which crashed last night. Photo © Hsu Chun-Yuan. Please visit his Photostream for high-res images.

Taiwan's fleet of F-5E/F Tigers were locally produced under licence, with 308 aircraft being manufactured between 1974 and 1983. Seven F-5Es were converted into RF-5E Tigereyes by Singapore Technologies Aerospace in 1999-2000.

The RF-5E lost is reported to be 5506 (83-0093/former RoCAF F-5E 5323) while the F-5F is reported to be 5401/83-0127. Taiwan's Tiger II fleet has suffered from a relatively high loss rate, with more than 30 airframes known to have been written off due to crashes and accidents.

Hualien is home to the RoCAF's 401st Tactical Fighter Wing/12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron which reportedly only operates the RF-5, but as the above photo shows, it also holds at least one (but probably a handful of) two-seater(s), most likely for pilot training/conversion.

Additional information courtesy of Don Chan, Taiwan Air Power and Scramble.

Asia's F-16 operators eye AESA radar upgrades

Republic of Singapore Air Force F-16C Block 52

Aviationweek has reported that three Asian F-16 operators, namely the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are keen on upgrading their respective F-16 fleets with the Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This follows the United States Air Force, already facing delays with the controversial Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program, recently requesting information on F-16 AESA upgrades for 300-600 of the USAF's current F-16 fleet. The AESA radars in contention for all the potential upgrades are likely to be between Northrop Grumman’s Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) and the Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR).

The Republic of Korea Air Force currently operates 169 F-16C/D Block 32/52s, with the Republic of Singapore Air Force operating 60 F-16C/D Block 52/52+ and the Republic of China (Taiwan) Air Force having 145 F-16A/B Block 20s in its inventory.

Photos from Taiwanese AF road-runway exercise

The Republic of China Air Force operated from a closed-off motorway as a runway during a part of a major military exercise simulating a Chinese surprise attack that had wiped out its major airbases. Codenamed Han Kuang 27, two F-16s, two Mirage 2000-5s and two F-CK-1 Indigenous Defence Fighters landed on a motorway near Tainan city, refuelled and rearmed before taking off again. (All Photos, Reuters)

(Click on thumbnails for larger images)

Taiwan frustrated over stalled F-16 purchase and upgrades

With American approval stalled, Taiwanese officials are increasingly frustrated over its efforts to purchase F-16C/Ds and upgrading its present F-16 fleet. Taiwan's request for 66 F-16C/D Block 50/52s and an upgrade package for the RoCAF's 146 F-16A/B Block 20 fighters have been on hold since 2007 and 2009 respectively.

Taiwan to conduct emergency runway exercise on highway

Taiwan has announced that RoCAF F-16s and Mirage 2000s will take part in an emergency runway exercise in April. A stretch of highway in Tainan in the south of the island will be converted into a runway, and the Army's AH-1 Cobra helicopter gunships will be involved in the exercise for the first time.

China’s new fighter prompts renewed F-16 plea from Taiwan

Citing China’s recent unveiling of the J-20 stealth fighter, Taiwan's president has renewed his nation’s plea to the U.S. for more F-16s. The Taiwanese Air Force operates a 150-strong fleet of late block F-16A/Bs and wants 66 new F-16C/Ds.

Taiwanese T-34 crashes, pilots killed

A Republic of China Air Force T-34 Mentor trainer has crashed in southern Taiwan while on a training flight over mountainous terrain. Both crew, a pilot cadet and his instructor were killed.

Taiwan outlines plans for indigenous UAV

Taiwan will develop its own indigenous unmanned air vehicle to meet the needs of the RoCAF according to a recent Taiwanese media report. The report also states that the Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology will develop the new UAV.

Taiwan says no plans to mothball Mirage 2000s

Despite reports to the contrary, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) has said that it has no plans to mothball its Mirage 2000-5 fighters. It Air Force Chief of Staff reports fleetwide flight readiness at 72 percent. 56 of originally 60 Mirage 2000-5s remain in service with the RoCAF

Taiwan to review Mirage 2000 fleet

A Taiwannese parliamentarian has asked its Defence Minister to to undertake a comprehensive review of the RoCAF's Dassault Mirage 2000-5s fighters. The fleet's annual flying time will be halved to 5,000 hours this year.

US likely to upgrade Taiwanese F-16s

Taiwanese media is reporting that the United States is likely to approve upgrading the RoCAF's existing fleet of F-16s next year and approve the sale of F-16C/Ds by 2012. The RoCAF currently operates 146 Block 20 F-16A/Bs.

Senior Taiwanese AF visits US; presses for F-16s

A top Taiwanese military officer is visiting the United States to press for the sale of F-16 fighter jets to the island. The US is reluctant to sell newer F-16s to the island which will antagonize China, who regards Taiwan as a renegade province.

U.S. Releases Radar Upgrades for Taiwan Fighters

The US has announced the sale of radar upgrades for Taiwans fleet of F-CK-1A/B "Ching-kuo" Indigenous Defense Fighters (IDF). The IDF is equipped with a GD-53 Golden Dragon multi-mode monopulse Pulse-Doppler radar, which is based on the General Electric AN/APG-67 X band radar with some components from the F-16's AN/APG-66.

Taiwan repeats request for F-16C/Ds

In the wake of the latest Pentagon report on China's military, the Taiwanese government has again called for the US to sell it F-16C/Ds.

Taiwan's Air Force to pay airline record damages

The Republic of China Air Force has been ordered to pay NT$537m (US$16.9 million) over an incident in 2003 when a TransAsia Airways Airbus 321 landing at the RoCAF-managed Tainan Airport hit a construction vehicle, causing the aircraft to be prematurely retired from service.