BALANCE: Most of the additional funds are earmarked to boost the number and types of missiles the aircraft can carry, to maintain parity with Chinese warplanes
Taipei Times
Date: Sep 08, 2018
By: Lo Tien-pin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Ministry of National Defense is to increase the budget to upgrade the air force’s F-16
An air force F-16 taxies at Chiayi Air Base on Aug. 7. Photo: Lin Yi-chang, Taipei Times
warplane fleet from NT$129.6 billion to NT$140.2 billion (US$4.21 million to US$4.56 million), a high-ranking defense official said yesterday.
Most of the budget increase aims to boost the number and types of air-to-air missiles the aircraft can carry, said the official, who declined to be named.
Better missiles are necessary to maintain parity between the upgraded F-16s and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s tactical fighters, the official said.
Details of the missile portion of the budget would be disclosed to lawmakers on the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee when the Legislative Yuan reviews the national defense budget for fiscal 2019, the official said. [FULL STORY]
