Despite Pressures From China, Taiwan Might Procure Harriers

Taiwan will have the opportunity to procure refurbished AV-8 Harrier Jump Jets as the US Marine Corps (USMC) begins replacing the aircraft with F-35B stealth fighters, said US government sources.
The Harriers will be offered to Taiwan through the Pentagon’s Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program under the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
The AV-8 would fulfill Taiwan’s much-needed vertical and/or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) requirement. China is expected to destroy Taiwan’s air bases within the first few hours of a war with its estimated 1,400 short-range ballistic missile arsenal and the Harrier’s V/STOL capability will allow the Taiwan air force to maintain air operations by hiding the aircraft in the mountainous interior.
A US defense industry analyst working in Taiwan said that it was a “great idea,” but the USMC’s AV-8s are “too worn to be of much sustainable service value, at least not without some, probably very costly, structural rehabilitation and avionics upgrade.”
The Taiwan Air Force is not crazy about the AV-8 and there is tremendous pressure to continue efforts to secure procurement of the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing aircraft (STOVL) aircraft.
defensenews

Taiwan Launches Ambitious Plans For New Weapons In All Fronts, Cleared to Buy C-27J

China's steady acquisition of advanced weaponry has driven ambitious Taiwanese requirements, including plans to procure stealth fighters, advanced jet trainers, long-range unmanned reconnaissance aircraft and main battle tanks.
Some requirements are awaiting sale notification to the US Congress or are still working through the Ministry of National Defense's internal programming process. Those include:
• MH-60R naval helicopters.
• Aircraft-deployed mines, such as the Quickstrike series.
• Shipboard electronic warfare system upgrades, such as the SLQ-32.
• Phalanx close-in weapon systems.
• Tactical datalink systems as part of a follow-on to the Po Sheng C4ISR upgrade program, now more commonly referred to as "Shyun An" or "Xun An."

Among the Chinese programs spurring Taiwan's response are Su-35 fighter aircraft and long-range S-400 surface-to-air missile systems. Chinese efforts in the South China Sea have also driven requirements for more ships and submarines, though these will be largely indigenous build programs.
Defense sources indicate Taiwan is interested in acquiring an additional AH-64E Apache attack helicopter, presumably as replacement for the unit lost in a training accident in 2014.
Taiwan needs to start replacing its fighter trainers in the next few years, but the Air Force has not announced a selection process for new trainers to replace aging F-5 fighters and AT-3 attack trainers, though plans for a tentative budget have been announced by Air Force officials for 2017.
The Air Force uses its F-5E/F fighters and AT-3 jet trainers for training before moving forward to one of three fighters: F-16A/Bs, Mirage 2000-5s or indigenous defense fighters.
The Air Force has said it wants to procure 68 advanced jet trainers for advanced training, lead-in and operations transitioning training, Shih said.
At present, there are three candidates: the US Air Force's T-X program, which is still under development; the Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master; and the T-50 Golden Eagle built by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin.
Taiwan's Air Force also has a requirement to replace aging single-engine propeller-driven Beechcraft T-34C Turbo Mentor trainers procured from the US in the 1980s. The T-34 squadron has suffered numerous fatal accidents over the past several years. The Beechcraft AT-6 is the most likely candidate.
Taiwan also has been pursuing a procurement for six C­27J Spartan medium-transport aircraft, along with an indigenous training and maintenance package, to replace the Air Force's Fokker 50 VIP aircraft. The US government has released the C-27J for Taiwan, but the Air Force is awaiting financing, which has been hampered by the cost of recent upgrades to its indigenous defense fighters and upcoming upgrades to its F-16A/B fighter fleet.
defensenews

Taiwan a potential buyer of retired US A-10 Warthogs

Taiwan has been tagged as a potential buyer of refurbished A-10 Thunderbolt II jets should the ground attack aircraft be retired from the US Air Force.
Boeing's chief engineer of off-Boeing programs, said at a media event on May 20 that the A-10 that the company has begun early discussions with the USAF to sell off refurbished A-10s to international customers.
If the USAF is allowed to retire its A-10 fleet, the most likely course of action given where the re-winging contract has progressed to is for Boeing to complete the service contract so the aircraft can be sold to interested international parties.
The refurbished A-10 could include a new engine, a cockpit upgrade including a helmet-mounted cueing system, and targeting pods. These proposed enhancements are only in a concept stage and are not being touted in response to any specific customer requests, he added.
Taiwan is a possible candidate given its enthusiasm in acquiring America's retired Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates last year. Coincidentally, Taiwan currently lacks a superior performance attack aircraft.
Other countries listed as potential interested parties include South Korea and Iraq.
wantchinatimes

Taiwan to deploy P-3Cs to Spratlys

Taiwan announced on 20 April that it will deploy newly-delivered P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft on surveillance missions over its claimed territory in the South China Sea.
The aircraft are currently deployed in anti-submarine reconnaissance and surveillance operations in and around Taiwan's air defence identification zone.
However, the scope of the P-3C operations will be expanded to include waters in southeastern Taiwan and areas around the Spratly and Pratas islands.
Taiwan has to date taken delivery of eight of a total of 12 refurbished P-3C Orion aircraft from the US. The remaining four are due to be delivered by the end of 2015.
The P-3Cs are set to replace the Republic of China Air Force's fleet of 11 S-2T anti-submarine aircraft, which have been in service for more than 40 years.
China has built islands at Cuarteron, Gaven, Hughes, Johnson South, Subi and Mischief reefs, while it is also putting pressure on the Philippines.
For its part, Taiwan is seeking to expand its runway on Taiping Island (Itu Aba) in the Spratlys from the existing 1,150 m-long and 30 m-wide strip, which was completed in early 2008.
janes

Taiwan to retire F-5, HAWK surface-to-air missile

Taiwan Defense Department will begin a new wave of organizational and restructuring which will see the Taiwanese Air Force reduce the total number of jets and some abolition of naval and air bases.
The defence ministry aims to purchase the locally-made Tien Kung 3 (Sky Bow 3) surface-to-air missile system between 2015 and 2024 to replace the ageing Hawk missile systems.
asiandefencenews

Russian Fighters and missiles for China Still On Hold

Russian industry officials are denying media reports that Beijing and Moscow are finalizing a deal on the sale of advanced Russian fighters and surface-to-air missiles to China.
Widely reported by other media outlets, announced that the head of Sukhoi, confirmed that a deal with China to procure Su-35S fighters and S-400 SAMs was close to concluding.
But Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) denies anything beyond the sale of commercial aircraft during his visit to China.
UAC’s communications department, wrote in a news release that sale of the Su-35 was not in discussion with Chinese officials. However, UAC and China did sign a cooperation agreement to build wide-body long-range commercial airliners on May 20.
This does not mean that a deal on the multirole combat aircraft is dead, only that no agreement has been made.
S-400 and Su-35 deals might be sped up because of the growing importance of strategic ties with China for Moscow after the Crimean crisis. Taking into account production cycles, the first S-400s are unlikely to reach China before 2016.”
Whether the sale goes forward today or next year, it will spell trouble for Taiwan and Japan’s efforts to defend the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The 400-kilometer range S-400 will allow China to strike any aircraft over Taiwan. This will give China effective control of Taiwan’s airspace during a war. At present, China’s 300-kilometer range S-300s can hit aircraft only in a small section of Taiwan’s northwest coastal area.
The S-400 will make it difficult for Tokyo to control the Senkaku’s airspace. The disputed islands are controlled by Japan, but also claimed by China as the Diaoyu Islands are within 350 kilometers of China’s coast.
Taiwan is also facing a fighter shortage as older aircraft, such as the roughly 50 F-5s and 55 Mirage 2000s, begin retiring within the next 10 years. What remain are 126 upgraded indigenous defense fighters (IDFs) and 144 F-16A/B fighters. Taiwan has initiated an upgrade program for the F-16s, but still insists the US release 66 F-16C/D fighters on hold since 2006.
One response for Washington would be to sell Taiwan the General Electric F404 or F414-class small turbofan engine that would allow Taiwan to develop its indigenous defense fighter into a very short take-off, supersonic climbing fighter.
defensenews

Taiwan Holds Computer War Games Against China Attack

Taiwan Monday launched computerized war games featuring its newly acquired AH-64 Apache helicopters helping counter a simulated attack by a Chinese aircraft carrier group.
The five-day drill, part of the island’s biggest annual military maneuvers to be held in September, is aimed at testing the island’s defense capability against the fast expanding military might of the giant neighbor.
A scenario of the drill was attacks on the east by a Chinese aircraft carrier group.
With military deployments focused on the west coast facing mainland China, the east is relatively vulnerable to any Chinese invasion.
The drill for the first time features weaponry acquired last year, including the latest variant of US-made Apaches which military gurus say is the world’s most lethal attack helicopter, P-3C submarine hunting aircraft, and an upgraded version of Taiwan’s Indigenous Defence Fighter.
defensenews

Taiwan air force to start upgrading F-16s from 2016

Taiwan's air force said that it will begin the process of upgrading its fleet of over 100 F-16A/B fighter jets in the second half of 2016.
Before upgrading its entire fleet of the fighters, Taiwan has sent several of the planes to the United States for a trial to see if the upgrade will work. The planes will be brought back to Taiwan once they pass the testing process.
If all goes well, Taiwan will then buy the parts and gain the necessary expertise from the US to upgrade the rest of its fleet.
The United States had agreed to upgrade Taiwan's F-16A/B fighters after Taiwan's government had repeatedly asked to buy 66 of the newer generation F-16C/D fighters from the US, without getting an affirmative answer.
Taiwan's government has argued that its military needs the more advanced C/D fighters to replace its aging fleet. It it has been reported that after the upgrades, the A/B fighters will match the performance of C/D fighters.
wantchinatimes

U.S. committed to Taiwan's F-16 retrofit program

A senior U.S. official said on Friday that Washington is committed to upgrading Taiwan's fleet of F-16 fighter jets despite U.S. Air Force's decision not to continue the program beyond 2014.
Potential cuts in U.S. Air Force (USAF) funding for the CAPES program will not negatively impact the Taiwan F-16 retrofit program.
CAPES refers to the combat avionics programmed extension suite program. It is a USAF program to replace the avionics and radars for 300 US Lockheed Martin F-16s.
In September 2011, the Obama administration decided to sell the same upgrades to Taiwan's fleet of around 150 F-16 A/Bs.
Due to budget constraints, however, the USAF has decided not to fund the CAPES program after fiscal year 2014, which will end on Sept. 30 this year. The decision has raised some doubt on the retrofit program for Taiwan's F-16s, which were purchased in the 1990s.
Funding for the upgrades for Taiwan's fighter jets can be covered in Taiwan's current letter of offer and acceptance.
focustaiwan

BAE Targets Lockheed in Asia's F-16 Upgrade Wars

BAE Systems is preparing to leapfrog over Lockheed Martin and gobble up international F-16 upgrade contracts should the US Air Force drop funding for its fighter jet radar upgrade program.
The Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) program — with Lockheed as systems integrator — would upgrade 300 US F-16 fighter aircraft and 146 Taiwan F-16s.
But budget constraints could force the US Air Force to transfer remaining funds from CAPES to the F-16 service-life extension program, raising the specter of increased prices for Taiwan if it has to go it alone on its F-16 upgrade program.
BAE already scored a victory in November by beating Lockheed for the contract to upgrade 134 South Korean KF-16C/D Block 52s.
Lockheed Martin’s head of F-16 business development, said that even if CAPES is defunded for the US jets, the Taiwan program would continue at the same cost.
Phase 1 of the CAPES program, the developmental phase, remains funded, but the production stage remains unclear.
BAE cut its teeth on F-16 upgrades in 2005 when it added a new fire control computer and other systems to US Air National Guard F-16s.
defensenews

F-16 Upgrade Dropped From US Budget Proposal, Sources Say

A major F-16 upgrade program is likely to be left out of the president’s fiscal 2015 budget request, according to multiple sources.
The Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) is a US Air Force program to replace the avionics and radars for 300 US F-16s. It would also upgrade 146 Taiwanese F-16A/B fighters purchased in the 1990s.
Sources said the US Air Force has decided not to fund the CAPES program, instead reinvesting some of that money toward a general F-16 service-life extension program (SLEP) while putting the rest toward modernization efforts for other platforms.
The core of CAPES is a new active electronically scanned array radar. In 2013, Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor on CAPES, selected Northrop Grumman’s Scalable Agile Beam Radar to be installed in the planes.
By moving money toward the SLEP, the Air Force would provide some cover against the F-35 joint strike fighter slipping past its December 2016 initial operating capability date. It is also possible that some of the advanced avionics could become part of the SLEP, offering a cheaper, halfway method toward modernizing the F-16s.
Without CAPES funding, Taiwan might not be able to afford the F-16 upgrade program.
defensenews

Malfunction delays U.S. delivery of P-3C aircraft to Taiwan

The delivery of one of the 12 P-3C submarine-hunting aircraft from the United States was behind schedule due to a malfunction in its flight control system.
Taiwan received the first P-3C aircraft last September, and three more were scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan by the end of 2013.
However, during a legislative committee session Thursday, lawmaker Lin Yu-fang of the ruling Kuomintag revealed that the three sub-hunters should have been flown to Taiwan from Guam in December, but only one arrived here on Dec. 12.
Delivery of the other two was delayed due to a serious malfunction, after being flown there from mainland United States.
One of the two P-3Cs eventually arrived in Taiwan on Dec. 17, after its problem was fixed. The other one was still in Guam waiting to be repaired.
According to the schedule, five more P-3Cs will be delivered to Taiwan in 2014, and another three in 2015, when the P-3C fleet will be commissioned, the Air Force said.
The P-3Cs will replace a fleet of 11 S-2T anti-submarine aircraft that has been in service for more than 40 years.
The U.S. government approved the sale of the 12 P-3Cs with T-56 turboprop engines and related equipment and services in 2007.
focustaiwan

Delivery ceremony for Taiwan's Apache choppers to be held this week

The Ministry of National Defense will hold a formal delivery ceremony later this week for the first batch of six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters purchased from the United States.
The six helicopters, which arrived in Taiwan in early November and were part of a 30-helicopter package costing Taiwan.
Taiwan will be the first country in the world other than the U.S. to deploy the AH-64E Apache chopper when they become operational in 2014.
The model E is the latest model in the Apache attack helicopter family.
A second batch of Apaches is scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan in late December, with the last batch to be delivered by the end of 2014.
focustaiwan

Taiwan's C-130 to airlift supplies to Philippines

A C-130 military cargo plane will depart later Tuesday to deliver supplies to the Philippines and provide relief to areas devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan.
The typhoon, said to be the most powerful storm ever to reach land, killed an estimated 10,000 people in the Philippines.
focustaiwan

Taiwan to get first Apache helicopters Nov. 4

The first six Apache attack helicopters purchased from the United States will arrive in Taiwan Nov. 4.
The six AH-64Es will be part of an order of 30 of the U.S. attack helicopter that the military bought in 2008. The last batch should be delivered by the end of 2014.
Taiwan will be the world's first country other than the United States to deploy this type of attack chopper.
focustaiwan

First RoCAF P-3C arrives in Taiwan

First of 12 Lockheed Martin P-3C for Taiwan arrived at Pingtung AFB on Sept. 25.

P-3C maritime patrol aircraft to arrive in Taiwan

The first of a batch of P-C marine patrol aircraft purchased from the US will arrive in the country today or tomorrow depending on the impact of Typhoon Usagi.
Apple Daily reported yesterday that according to the air force, the P-3C Orion will take off from the US and stop in Guam or Hawaii before arriving at Pingtung Air Force Base.
The aircraft will be flown by US pilots with Taiwanese air force personnel on board.
taipeitimes

US Budget Woes Could Affect Taiwan F-16 Upgrades

Despite pains by Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) to keep the F-16 upgrade program on course, the effort could be derailed by US defense budget cuts that endanger the US Air Force’s Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) program for its own F-16s.
defensenews

Taiwan’s CSIST unveils first VTOL UAV

Taiwan’s Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology will unveil its first VTOL unmanned aircraft, dubbed Mystic Eye, at the 2013 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition.
alert5

Lockheed Martin Selects Northrop Grumman's Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the F-16 AESA Radar Upgrade Program

Lockheed Martin has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation's Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the U.S. Air Force and Taiwan F-16 radar modernization and upgrade programs.
Work on the F-16 AESA (active electronically scanned array) radar program will be performed at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector headquarters facility in Linthicum.
northropgrumman