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P-3C AIRCRAFT TAIWAN WANTS TO BUY CAN SERVE 15-20 YEARS: MND

ROC Central News Agency

2006-03-20 19:08:54

    Taipei, March 20 (CNA) The P-3C anti-submarine aircraft Taiwan wants to purchase from the United States can remain serviceable for between 10 and 15 years, National Defense Vice Minister Ko Chen-heng said Monday.

    Ko made the remarks when he delivered a special report on the necessity of purchasing P-3C aircraft and submarines and a review of current military combat readiness to the National Defense Committee at the Legislative Yuan.

    Ko said that the long-range, fixed-wing P-3C anti-submarine aircraft belongs to the P-3 family that is still in active service in the United States.

    The United States also pledged that the aircraft will definitely conform to U.S. aviation standards, Ko added.

    Legislator Ting Shou-chung of the opposition Kuomintang pointed out that the 12 P-3C aircraft were manufactured by the United States in 1969 and phased out in 2003. The wings of the aircraft have serious metal fatigue, he claimed.

    Ko noted that the S-27 anti-submarine aircraft Taiwan currently uses have been in service for more than 40 years. Faced with China's continued upgrading of its naval fleet, the military has to upgrade to a newer mode of anti-submarine aircraft, he noted.

    If a deal is struck with Taiwan, Ko said, the U.S. promised to renew the wings and upgrade the plane's performance.

    Noting the frequent presence of Chinese submarines around Taiwan waters, Ko said that only the P-3C aircraft can effectively upgrade anti-submarine and early pre-warning capabilities.

    Legislator Chao Liang-yen of the opposition People First Party asked if the ministry has designated Lockheed Martin Corp. for remodeling the planes to be sold to Taiwan. "The MND has made no such request, " Ko said, adding that the government has conveyed its desire to the U.S. for open bidding and that it would not designate any specific manufacturers for the deal.

    Also, it would be an arms deal, not a commercial deal, Ko said, which would make it inappropriate for Taiwan to designate a manufacturer.

    The P-3C aircraft squadron is part of an arms procurement package the ministry submitted to the legislature two years ago. The other two items are eight diesel-electric submarines and six Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile batteries.

    The package has since been blocked by the opposition-dominated legislature, citing reasons ranging from the high price tag to the obsolete nature of the weaponry.

    The MND recently said it would postpone the plan to purchase the Patriot PAC-3 batteries until next March, as a referendum held in tandem with the 2004 presidential election on the purchase of the missiles failed.

    The referendum law stipulates that an issue cannot be put to referendum again within three years of a previous referendum.

(By Lilian Wu)

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