The Pentagon announced in July an agreement to sell an advanced tactical data-link system to Taiwan. However, the US is currently urging Taiwan to accept an alternative package with inferior specifications, according to defense sources.
The US is trying to persuade the military to reconsider its request for an upgraded version of the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System, also known as the Link-16, defense sources said.
The Link-16 is an advanced tactical data link system being used by the US military and NATO. The US Pentagon announced in July an agreement to sell the Link-16 to Taiwan.
But the US now prefers Taiwan buy an alternative system with inferior specifications, sources said. It is not known what this system is.
The military has yet to decide whether to accept the new offer, which will be less effective but much cheaper.
A defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the US may have changed its mind after gaining a better understanding of Taiwan's defense needs.
"The Link-16 is a very powerful system, but its power may far exceed the defense needs of Taiwan. Under these circumstances, it is reasonable for the US to offer Taiwan a less powerful system," the official said.
Erich Shih (施孝瑋), a military analyst with Defense International magazine, said it is in the best interest of the country for the military to insist on buying the Link-16.
"With the Link-16, the military can increase the combat strength of its current weapon systems by two-fold. I can't imagine what the military will be like without the system," Shih said.
The Link-16 can serve as a C4ISR (command, control, communication, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) system between the services, Shih said.
The system can transmit real-time battlefield information between the various services, Shih said. This allows fighter planes to share information with surface ships and land-based troops.
The radar systems of the air force, navy and army currently operate independently. But they can be integrated into one system with the Link-16, Shih said.
The ongoing problem of F-16 fighters having no data link with E-2T early warning aircraft will also be solved by the Link-16, he said.
Shih warned that the US may be unwilling to help Taiwan build data links between US-made systems and those made by other countries.
"There are rumors that the US is not interested in including French-made weapons systems in the data-link network that it plans to help the Taiwanese military construct. If that is the case, the Mirage fighter planes and Lafayette-class frigates will have to fight on their own in wartime," Shih said.
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