Boeing Co of the US is negotiating the sale of 60 to 100 AV-8B Harrier vertical/short takeoff and landing (VSTOL) fighter planes with Taiwan, according to the latest issue of a local defense magazine.
If the deal succeeds, Taiwan is expected to start taking delivery of the AV-8Bs in 2005, the Defense Technology Monthly magazine said in its October issue.
To sweeten the deal, Boeing has promised to offer terms beneficial to Taiwan, including transferring relevant technology and upgrading the radar system of the AV-8Bs to match that of the F-16 series fighter jets, the magazine said.
Boeing sent a team to Taiwan early this year to brief the military on the AV-8B package it plans to offer Taiwan, according to the magazine. It reported that the total package will include between 60 and 100 AV-8Bs.
The English-language Flight International magazine had an article on the same topic in its Aug. 21 issue.
The Taipei Times printed an exclusive report on Aug. 21 last year on the military's plans to purchase AV-8Bs from the US.
The US initially did not accept the Taiwanese military's request for the AV-8Bs, according to defense sources. It urged Taiwan instead to buy AV-8As, an older version of the British-designed VSTOL aircraft. The military turned down the arrangement saying that the AV-8As could not meet the combat requirements of Taiwan in the 21st century, sources said.
Now the situation seems to have changed in Taiwan's favor, with the US agreeing not only to sell the AV-8Bs to Taiwan but also to provide some lucrative terms as part of the deal.
The Aerospace Industry Development Corporation, a private company and developer of the IDF fighter plane, is expected to win a contract from Boeing to produce the wing parts of the AV-8Bs, according to the magazine.
The contract will give a boost to the struggling firm, which has been awarded very few big contracts since completing the production of 130 IDFs for the air force two years ago.
The purchase of the AV-8Bs is part of the military's effort to build a force of third-generation fighters, according to an air force official.
F-16s, IDFs and Mirage 2000-5s are referred to as second-generation fighters to differentiate them from older fighter jets such as F-5Es and F-104s.
The air force's main demands for third-generation fighters are those with short or vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, the air force official said.
The Joint Strike Fighter currently being developed in the US is also being considered for purchase because of its VSTOL capabilities, the official said, but the chances of Taiwan acquiring the jet are very slim.
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off Yilan at 11:05pm yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The epicenter was located at sea, about 32.3km east of Yilan County Hall, at a depth of 72.8km, CWA data showed There were no immediate reports of damage. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Yilan County area on Taiwan’s seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. It measured 4 in other parts of eastern, northern and central Taiwan as well as Tainan, and 3 in Kaohsiung and Pingtung County, and 2 in Lienchiang and Penghu counties and 1
FOREIGN INTERFERENCE: Beijing would likely intensify public opinion warfare in next year’s local elections to prevent Lai from getting re-elected, the ‘Yomiuri Shimbun’ said Internal documents from a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company indicated that China has been using the technology to intervene in foreign elections, including propaganda targeting Taiwan’s local elections next year and presidential elections in 2028, a Japanese newspaper reported yesterday. The Institute of National Security of Vanderbilt University obtained nearly 400 pages of documents from GoLaxy, a company with ties to the Chinese government, and found evidence that it had apparently deployed sophisticated, AI-driven propaganda campaigns in Hong Kong and Taiwan to shape public opinion, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported. GoLaxy provides insights, situation analysis and public opinion-shaping technology by conducting network surveillance
‘POLITICAL GAME’: DPP lawmakers said the motion would not meet the legislative threshold needed, and accused the KMT and the TPP of trivializing the Constitution The Legislative Yuan yesterday approved a motion to initiate impeachment proceedings against President William Lai (賴清德), saying he had undermined Taiwan’s constitutional order and democracy. The motion was approved 61-50 by lawmakers from the main opposition Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the smaller Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), who together hold a legislative majority. Under the motion, a roll call vote for impeachment would be held on May 19 next year, after various hearings are held and Lai is given the chance to defend himself. The move came after Lai on Monday last week did not promulgate an amendment passed by the legislature that
Taiwan is gearing up to celebrate the New Year at events across the country, headlined by the annual countdown and Taipei 101 fireworks display at midnight. Many of the events are to be livesteamed online. See below for lineups and links: Taipei Taipei’s New Year’s Party 2026 is to begin at 7pm and run until 1am, with the theme “Sailing to the Future.” South Korean girl group KARA is headlining the concert at Taipei City Hall Plaza, with additional performances by Amber An (安心亞), Nick Chou (周湯豪), hip-hop trio Nine One One (玖壹壹), Bii (畢書盡), girl group Genblue (幻藍小熊) and more. The festivities are to
RSS