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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| Pentagon paints grim picture of Taiwan air defense |
| 2010-02-23 |
| The Pentagon has painted a grim picture of Taiwan's air defense capabilities, saying that many of the island's 400 combat aircraft would not be available to help withstand an attack from rival China. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report obtained Monday by The Associated Press says "far fewer of these are operationally capable," an unusually strong indictment of Taiwanese defense readiness. By pointing out the island's shortcomings, the report could provide justification for Washington to grant a Taiwanese request for relatively advanced F-16 jet fighters, a key element in its arms procurement wish list. |
| Posted by:ed |
| #6 ...and if not, they can take it by proxy fight rather than by arms. Hell, they could buy the place out if they wanted to. Might crimp budget for the military buildup right now and the cover the Taiwan issue provides it, but it's doable. It's not Taiwan they want to cow, it's their neighbors. Satellites of the Middle Kingdom brought back into the fold. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-02-23 11:01 |
| #5 Taiwan is committed to a slow, gradual reunification with the mainland. It'll take 30-50 years, but the Chinese are prepared to wait. |
| Posted by: gromky 2010-02-23 10:51 |
| #4 The Taiwanese are not vested in their own defense. I view sale or transfer of any defense-related item to Taiwan as a capitulation of US defense technology directly to the mainland and object to the notion that we are obligated to defend a democracy not interested in defending itself. The opportunity to posture over Taiwan was lost 20 or so years ago. It's just not worth it. |
| Posted by: logi_cal 2010-02-23 09:39 |
| #3 The Pentagon has painted a grim picture of Taiwan's air defense capabilities, saying that many of the island's 400 combat aircraft would not be available to help withstand an attack from rival China. I wonder what the War Department's assessment of England's air defense capability was in the summer of 1940. "operationally capable" sometimes is a term used to hold a piece of equipment on the line rather than use because of maintenance and parts issues, but if push came to shove could be airborne and in a fight. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2010-02-23 08:00 |
| #2 Ditto CHINA as per INDJUH'S AIR FORCE, ala WMF, as the former says despite India's on-going mil modernization India's Air Force can be easily wiped out in short order??? SU-30'S AND ALL??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-02-23 00:37 |
| #1 Methinks DAILY TIMES.PK says it better > US SAYS TAIWAN'S AIR FORCE NEEDS HELP. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-02-23 00:33 |