Taiwan's aerospace company seeking to build F-16 maintenance center
ROC Central News Agency
2012/07/17 19:47:40
Taipei, July 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. (AIDC) is seeking to build a maintenance center for F-16 jet fighters that can serve the Air Force as well as clients from Southeast Asian countries, the company spokesman said Tuesday.
The state-owned company is seeking to set up the maintenance and overhaul center in conjunction with U.S.-based Lockheed Martin, which manufactures the F-16 jet fighters, said AIDC spokesman Mike Lee.
"We are seeking to build the maintenance facility here," as Taiwan's F-16 fleet is the largest in Asia, he told CNA.
Taiwan's Air Force has 145 F-16A/B fighters, among the country's major combat fleet.
The AIDC also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Lockheed Martin the previous week to pursue joint opportunities in a US$3.8 billion program to retrofit Taiwan's F-16 A/B jets.
Last September, the Obama administration approved the F-16 A/B retrofit program, as well as a training package for Taiwan.
"We hope that most of the upgrades can be done here," if Lockheed Martin wins the contract of the upgrade program, Lee said. Doing the work locally will be cost- and time-efficient, he noted.
The AIDC is already experienced in retrofitting Taiwan's locally made Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), he said, adding that the MOU with Lockheed Martin will give the AIDC an opportunity to play a part in the F-16 retrofit program.
The AIDC, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, is the country's leading aerospace company and is responsible for developing the IDF.
(By Elaine Hou)
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