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MND declines comment on Russia-designed jet fighter

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) yesterday declined to respond to a local media report that Taiwan had completed the design of its own third-generation fighter jet with Russian expertise, saying only that Taiwan has never stopped research and development for new weapons.

A story published by the Chinese-language China Times yesterday quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the government-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC), which sent personnel to Russia for instruction from Russian experts, has finished designing the third-generation warplane.

It did not specify which Russian agency or company was involved.

The China Times quoted the official as saying that during the design process, Taiwanese and Russian experts studied the design of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the US’ most advanced fighter jet, but added that it was shorter than the JSF.

To deter any possible attack from China, Taiwan has sought to buy the more advanced F-16C/Ds, or JSFs, but Washington has not approved the request, so far agreeing only to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16A/Bs. This has prompted Taiwan to build its own third-generation warplanes for self-defence, the paper said. The F16C/D deal, worth at least NT$100 billion (US$3.3 billion), would have been Washington’s biggest arms sale to Taiwan since 2001.

“It is always the ministry’s job to continue development and research on new weapons to fit the needs of defending the country. But details of the process will always be something on which we cannot comment,” MND spokesman Major General Yu Sy-tue (虞思祖) said yesterday when asked for response to the China Times story.

Yu did not deny nor confirm the report. When asked for comment, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方), a member of the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee, said it was not a good idea to seek help from Russia.

Lin said he did not believe that Russia would turn its back on China by helping Taiwan develop new jet fighters.

“I would buy it if you said that Russia would simply sell us engines. But, to help us develop new engines? Excuse me, I just don’t buy it,” Lin said.

Lin said he was optimistic about buying F-16C/D Falcons from the US, adding that he would lead a team to the US in September to help the MND seal the F-16C/D deal with the US government.

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