RAPID RESPONSE: Strong winds usually prevent light fighter jets from being stationed in Penghu year-round, but the government seeks to have strong air defense measures
Taipei Times
Date: Jan 07, 2018
By: Lo Tien-pin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The military is considering stationing a squadron of Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF)
An Indigenous Defense Fighter jet armed with US Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and Tien Chien II medium-range missiles is parked in a hangar at the Tainan Air Force Base on July 28 last year. Photo: Su Fang-ho, Taipei Times
jets at Penghu County’s Magong Airport for year-round patrol duty in light of China’s unilateral decision to open new commercial flight routes in the Taiwan Strait, a source said on Friday.
Strong northeasterly monsoon winds in the area during winter can create unfavorable conditions for light fighter planes, such as IDF jets, which is why the squadron is normally based in Penghu from April to October, said a senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Due to its proximity to the Chinese coast, the fighter squadron would be called on first if the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force were to make a sudden deployment, the official said.
A Republic of China Air Force officer familiar with combat readiness and the deployment of the nation’s air force to Penghu commented anonymously, saying that year-round deployment of IDF jets — the Hsiung Ying (雄鷹, or Goshawk) or C/D models — to Penghu is pending further assessments. [FULL STORY]
