Business leader sees few chances for F-16C/D sales

Taipei Times ^ | 12/4/2010 | William Lowther

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

It is going to take “Herculean” efforts to persuade US President Barack Obama and his closest advisers to sell F-16C/D fighters to Taiwan, US-Taiwan Business Council president Rupert Hammond-Chambers said on Wednesday.

He said he believed the US administration would agree to “retrofit” Taiwan’s fleet of 145 F16s, but sounded very doubtful about the future sale of new fighters.

Taipei has asked to buy 66 new F16s and the request is “under consideration” by the White House.

Recently published Pentagon studies show that the balance of power across the Taiwan Strait has tilted solidly in China’s favor and that Taiwan’s air force is in desperate need of new fighters.

[Sparticus]

This just makes me so mad. Taiwan should be getting as much military assistance as we can provide them. It’s not like they’re asking us to give it to them for free, either.

[Tainan]

US Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher, a member of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Foreign Affairs, said China was governed by a regime of “tyrants and gangsters.”
He said that Taiwan had elected a government that believed in “acquiescing” and taking a “soft approach” to Beijing.
Rohrabacher said Taiwan was “petting” the Chinese dragon even though it knew the dragon was full of teeth and fire and blood.
North Korea was China’s “puppet and lap dog,” he said, adding that China was using the North to try to intimidate Japan.
“They are trying to make the people of Japan cower in the same way that the people of Taiwan have decided to cower, but they are not going to succeed,” he said. “The Japanese people are tough and courageous.”

Dana...Dude...don't hold it back..tell us what you really think.

Its a complicated mess. Politicians on both sides, U.S. & Taiwan, are playing political games with this issue.
Meanwhile, Taiwans Air Force scavenges a/c and literally usues duct tape and wire to keep those old dogs in the air.
Hell, they still are flying S2Ts!

At least they are trying to keep one up in the air.

[MediaMole]

I’d be more impressed to see the Starfighter next to it.

There are a few Stoofs flying in the US civilian fleet. Maybe Taiwan can get Canair to do a turbo conversion.

[Yo-Yo]

It’s hard to move my sympathy meter very far, since Taiwan was offered F-16s a few years ago but couldn’t make up their minds if they wanted to pay for them or not, so the offer was withdrawn.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I think the Taiwanese should sign a memorandum of understanding for the purchase of F-35

[NYFreeper]

Hell, they still are flying S2Ts!

Yeah, that's also an F-104 sitting next to it.

[Tainan]

Static display. There are a few F-104 models around here. Just for show - no go.
Here is a page you might like:
F-104s preserved in Asia. Scroll down to Taiwan.

[Tainan]

“Setting” is exactly right. See link in #8.