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2005-10-24 China-Japan-Koreas

StrategyPage: Taiwan Corruption and Preparedness

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Posted by ed 2005-10-24 08:40|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Ed, we're the guys who decided we'd sell them the air-to-air missiles but keep them in the US until the war actually started because otherwise it would be Too Destabilizing.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2005-10-24 08:52|| 2005-10-24 08:52|| Front Page Top

#2 Phil,
The AMRAAM deal (stupid ass Clinton era deal kow-towing to the Commie Chinese) to store the missiles in the US was contingent on the Chinese not introducing a comparable missile. Now that the Chinese have the SU-27/R-77 combo, the contingency is no longer valid. I am not sure if the Taiwan have received their production yet, but it should be about the right time. Rergardless of that, the Taiwanese do not have enough Sidewinders/Sparrows to even load all their fighters once. That's suicide, but the Taiwanese faith in the (US) Force must be strong.

Another item the US should consider selling to the Taiwanese are the Aegis, instead of the Kidd class, destroyers. It is the only ship capable of operating in the heavy air/missile threat of the Taiwan Straits and if armed with Tomahawks, give Beijings generals real heartburn. I don't know that Washington trusts the Taiwanese enough to that all the Aegis tech will not be leaked to China. But I read that China has supposedly already spied much of the Aegis during Clinton's term.

Posted by ed 2005-10-24 14:08|| 2005-10-24 14:08|| Front Page Top

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