An opposition KMT lawmaker presented a written interpellation to the Cabinet yesterday expressing his concern about possible leakage of classified information to China concerning French-made Mirage 2000-5 jet fighters.
Quoting a recent French newspaper report, Legislator Kuo Jung-chen (
Kuo said the Taiwan navy's purchase of six Lafayette-class frigates and 980 medium-range MICA missiles from France in the early 1990s was mediated by Thomson-CSF, the French manufacturer of the RDY multi-mode radar installed on Mirage 2000-5 fighters.
Against this backdrop, Kuo said in his interpellation that he is worried French engineering experts might have also leaked to China critical Mirage-related information, in particular information regarding the various electronic warfare weapons installed on the fighters.
Taiwan has purchased 60 Mirages, which together with the 150 US-made F-16 jet fighters and 130 home-made Indigenous Defense Fighters form the backbone of Taiwan's second-generation airborne defense arsenal.
Kuo asked the Ministry of National Defense to study how to control possible damage and to demand that Dassault Co, the French contractor of the Mirage fighters, ensure the security of all Mirage-related secret information.
If necessary, Kuo said the ministry should demand that Dassault assist in adjusting the Mirage fighters' computer and electronic warfare equipment to ensure Taiwan's security.
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