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CHEN PRESIDES OVER COMMISSIONING OF E-2K EARLY WARNING PLANES

ROC Central News Agency

2006-04-15 17:42:29

    Taipei, April 15 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Saturday that the commissioning of two U.S.-built E-2K early warning and control aircraft will enable Taiwan to respond quickly to any contingency in the event of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

    Chen made the remarks while addressing the aircraft commissioning ceremony at Pingtung air base in southern Taiwan.

    The president said the E-2K is one of the latest versions of early warning aircraft in the United States, which he said will greatly enhance the nation's overall air defense capabilities.

    Noting that a strong air force will be a pillar in ensuring

safety and stability in the Taiwan Strait, he urged legislators

across the party spectrum to quickly pass a major arms procurement

package from the United States. "Taiwan is at a critical moment in its transformation and upgrading of combat capabilities," the president said.

    But the opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan has continued to block three major items in a major arms procurement package --

eight diesel-electric submarines, a squadron of 12 P-3C anti-submarine aircraft and Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile batteries -- requested by the Executive Yuan, he lamented.

     He said that during his April 3 meeting with Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the main opposition Kuomintang, Ma said the KMT would support a reasonable arms purchase budget, but the arms procurement package was recently rejected by the legislature for the 51st time.

    He urged legislators across the board not to put at risk the nation's security or use the defense budget as leverage in political squabbles, and to pass the arms purchase package as soon as possible.

    The president later observed various aircraft flying past the review stand, including combat planes flying in formation and the Thunder Tiger Aerobatic Team doing a stunt flying performance.

    During the review of ground forces, a minor mishap took place when the 20th battalion's flag snapped while paying tribute to the President. The flag bearer used too much force in saluting the president, a spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense later explained.

(By Lilian Wu)

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