Taipei Times
Date: Dec 03, 2017
By: Aaron Tu and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The nation’s fleet of 12 Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft provides Taiwan with an
A Lockheed P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft lands at Pingtung Air Base on Nov. 12.
Photo: CNA
effective deterrent against the growing size and threat of the submarine forces of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the military said yesterday.
The P-3C aircraft on Friday formally replaced the aging Grumman S-2 Tracker fleet as the nation’s mainstay force.
The PLAN has nine nuclear-powered submarines, only five of which are actual attack submarines, and 54 diesel-electric submarines, this year’s US Department of Defense report on the Chinese military said.
The report estimated that the PLAN submarine force is likely to increase to between 69 and 78 boats by 2020. [FULL STORY]
