NewsWeek
Date: 3/16/18
BY: David Brennan 

Taiwan reaffirmed its continued interest in acquiring U.S.-made F-35 stealth fighter jets,

British and American F-35s fly above the North Sea on July 1, 2016. Taiwan wants access to the platform to defend against possible Chinese aggression.

as it considers how it would fight off a possible Chinese invasion.

Speaking to parliament, Taiwan’s Defense Minister Yen Teh-fa confirmed that the government wants to acquire the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II platform, though did not mention which variant of the jet or how many Taiwan would buy, Defense News reported.

Taiwan is reportedly interested in the U.S.’s F-35B variant, which has vertical take-off and landing capabilities, and was developed for use on U.S. Navy ships. This would allow Taiwanese jets to take off and fight even if its runways were destroyed in a Chinese first strike.    [FULL  STORY]