F-16C/D PROCUREMENT PLAN HINGES ON LONG-STALLED ARMS PACKAGE: MND
ROC Central News Agency
2006-11-28 17:39:03
Taipei, Nov. 28 (CNA) Taiwan's plan to buy F-16C/D jet fighters from the United States will not proceed until the 2007 defense budget plan clears the Legislative Yuan, Ministry of National Defense (MND) spokesman Wu Chi-fang said Tuesday.
According to Wu, Taiwan delegates touched again on the nation's plan to procure U.S.-made F-16C/D jet fighters during recent talks with their U.S. counterparts on bilateral military exchanges in Washington, D.C.
However, Wu said the U.S. stance is that the planned F-16C/D procurement will not be dealt with until the legislature gives the green light to relevant budgets for a long-stalled arms purchase package, which includes six Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile batteries, a squadron of 12 anti-submarine P-3C aircraft and eight diesel-electric submarines.
Noting that Taiwan needs the F-16 fighters to upgrade its defense capability, Wu said despite the fact the Democrats won control of both houses of Congress in the recent mid-term elections, U.S. policy will be consistent and its stance on Taiwan's arms procurements will not change.
Consequently, Wu called on the opposition-dominated legislature to give the green light as soon as possible to the MND-submitted defense budget plan for 2007, saying that the ministry will also continue to coordinate the F-16 procurement deal with the United States.
The Ministry of National Defense is hoping to buy the F-16C/Ds to replace the Air Force's F-5E and F-5F aircraft, which are being phased out over the next few years.
According to media reports, even if Taiwan is permitted to buy the F-16C/Ds, they will not be delivered until 2011. By that time, Taiwan's self-developed IDFs will have been in service for nearly 20 years and the F-16A/Bs purchased from the U.S. will have been in service for more than 15 years.
(By Luis Huang)
enditem/Li
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