The Air Force confirmed yesterday its plan to purchase KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft from the US.
"We have yet to hear anything from the US regarding our request to purchase the KC-135 refueling tankers," said Major General Liu Chen-wu (
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, an aerial refueling tanker aircraft, has been in service with the US Air Force since 1957. It can hold more than 90 tonnes of gas.
Among Taiwan's major fighter aircraft, only the US-made F-16 Falcon is equipped with the necessary "facilities" for air refueling. These "facilities," however, were sealed by the US before the aircraft were sold to Taiwan, he said.
"These `facilities' for air refueling can be restored at any time. It is not a problem," Liu said.
"In fact, our first group of F-16 pilots all trained for air refueling during their training in the US. [As such], it won't be a problem for our pilots to learn the skills once we obtain the KC-135s," he said.
The Air Force did not provide details on the procurement, nor would it mention the budget allotted or the quantity of aircraft it planned to acquire.
Retired Air Force deputy chief of staff Chou Meng-pai (周夢白) said that as the People's Republic of China's Air Force continues to develop, "buying more state-of-the-art aircraft" and "prolonging the flight time of our aircraft" have become the most important objectives of the nation's Air Force.
"With the KC-135, our fighter aircraft can be equipped with maximum loads of weapons for each mission without having to worry about fuel consumption," he said. "Our fighters will also be able to attack more locations in China, if necessary."
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