U.S. arms sale offer in Taiwan's security interests: MND
ROC Central News Agency
2011/09/26 20:27:00
By Chen Pei-huang and Jamie Wang
Taipei, Sept. 26 (CNA) The Ministry of National Defense (MND) took issue Monday with an op-ed piece that argued politics rather than Taiwan's security were the main winners in a recent U.S. decision to help Taiwan upgrade its F-16A/B fighters.
In a statement issued Monday, the MND insisted that Taiwan's request to have the United States upgrade its fleet of F-16 A/B fighters was made based on professional defense considerations.
It also said the capabilities of the improved F-16 A/Bs might even exceed those of active-duty F-16 C/Ds in the U.S.
But in an op-ed piece published in the Apple Daily, Fu S. Mei, the director of the Taiwan Security Analysis Center, contended that the arms deal would do little to counter China's aggressive military buildup in recent years.
Instead, Mei argued, the package benefited the Barack Obama administration by helping Washington avoid annoying China, the biggest holder of U.S. debt, and not violate the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) while creating jobs in the U.S. at a time of high unemployment.
It also could help President Ma Ying-jeou, who is running for re-election and has been criticized for overemphasizing exchanges with China at the expense of Taiwan's sovereignty and defense.
Washington announced on Sept. 21 that it intended to sell Taiwan a retrofit of 145 of Taiwan's F-16 A/B fighter jets, a five-year extension of F-16 pilot training at Luke Air Force Base in the U.S. and spare parts for maintenance of Taiwan's F-16s, its existing fleet of F-5s, and C-130 cargo planes.
The package, worth US$5.85 billion, did not include the more advanced F-16C/D fighters, which Taiwan argued were necessary to replace its fleet of aging F-5E jet fighters and modernize its arsenal.
The MND said, however, that some of the upgraded systems for the F-16 A/Bs are expected to function as well as U.S. F-16 C/Ds.
It also indicated that most countries make structural adjustments or performance improvements during the mid- or late-lifetime of their fighter fleets to extend the active life of the aircraft and maximize its return on investment.
Taiwan has urged the U.S., its biggest security ally, to sell it 66 F-16C/D jets since 2006 to maintain its self-defense capabilities in the face of China's drastically increased military power. In 2009, Taiwan made another request for help in upgrading its F-16A/B fleet.
Washington said in its notification of the proposed package to Taiwan that the decision on selling Taiwan 66 F-16C/D jets had not been made.
The MND said it will continue to ask for the sale of F-16 C/D fighter jets and diesel-electric submarines.
It stressed that the arms sale from the U.S. was made under the TRA and the "Six Assurances" and will help Taiwan maintain regional security.
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