Congratulations are due to the Raytheon rep in Taiwan, who inked a big deal for missiles for Taiwan's airforce:The possible sale, requested by Taiwan, would involve the purchase of nearly 600 sophisticated missiles that would be used in F-16s to counter a Chinese attack across the Taiwan Strait. The announcement comes at a time when the Pentagon continues to be frustrated at the pan blue-dominated Legislative Yuan's refusal to approve the purchase of a package of US weapons promised to Taiwan by US President George W. Bush in 2001. Reports have said the US has made it clear it will not sell additional advanced F-16 fighters to
Taiwan unless the arms sales package is approved.
The announcement, by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which handles foreign arms sales, put the value of the sale at up to US$421 million. It would consist of 218 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), 235 AGM-65G2 Maverick Missiles, test missiles, 48 missile launchers, training missiles and various support systems and assistance programs.
Desperately needed. The US had withheld the previous delivery of AMRAAMs, as the Taipei Times reports, until 2002.
[Taiwan]
Yes, definitely good news for Taiwan. They need more missiles but can't buy all in one go (else they'll become obsolete at the same time). Buying in batches stops that and lets them get newer missile types.
ReplyDeleteIf they can place another order like this in the next few years the ROCAF will be in a good position, though this alone will help ameliorate the status quo. According to previous reports, the F-16 C/D deal had a number of missiles included too. If that goes ahead that would also help.
With 200 AMRAAM (C varient not D) and divide by 150 F-16 fighters = ~ 1.3 missile per plane.
ReplyDeleteNot nearly enough for a combat air patrol mission if you ask me...
To anonymous
ReplyDelete"With 200 AMRAAM (C varient not D) and divide by 150 F-16 fighters = ~ 1.3 missile per plane."
Except that Taiwan already has 120 AMRAAMs.
To raj
ReplyDeleteA F-16 class fighter preforming CAP mission commonly carry a compliment of 4 mediun range AAM and 2 short range AAM and a centerline tank.
even with 2.3 AMRAAM per plane it is not nearly enough. ROCA has to fall back on the antique AIM-7.
Doesn't Taiwan have its home-grown AMRAAM-type missiles?
ReplyDeleteYes it does but it's not cleared on the F-16 or rather it was never intended to be a competition to an american product.
ReplyDeleteLOL, useless.
ReplyDeleteWaste of Taiwan money. It's like a little boy carrying a gun amidst a crowd of men more tough than and they're carrying automatic machine guns, with no hesistation to kill.