The Ministry of National Defense should select the Taitung Air Force Base to house its planned F-16V tactical fighter wing, Institute of National Defense and Security Research senior analyst Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said yesterday.
Bases on the west coast are at capacity, while Shihzihshan (石子山) would provide cover for the base from the S-300 and S-400 surface-to-air missiles of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA), as well as enable Taiwan’s fighters to respond to PLA air and naval deployments to the east, he said.
Although the air force has already decided that the planned purchase of F-16Vs would not lead to a reduction in its number of Dassault Mirage 2000s, such a reduction should be considered, as it would free up Hsinchu Air Base for F-16Vs, he said.
The Mirage 2000s are expensive to operate and spare parts are difficult to obtain, he said.
The PLA Air Force must cross the Miyako Strait or Bashi Channel to reach the Pacific Ocean and it has frequently held aircraft exercises near or around Taiwan, straining Taiwan’s air defenses, a defense official said on condition of anonymity.
Such actions showed the need for Taiwan to obtain more advanced tactical fighters, they said.
Another defense official who requested anonymity said the air force was in the process of evaluating personnel requirements for the proposed tactical fighter wing, but the location of its home base could not be disclosed now.
Deputy Minister of National Defense Shen Yi-ming (沈一鳴) in March told lawmakers that the F-16Vs the government wanted to purchase from the US were unlikely to be delivered before 2023.
Information published by the Air Force Command has said the PLA has turned its provocative air and sea drills near Taiwan into a routine practice — which shows it has the potential to attack any point in Taiwan.
Countering China’s growing strength in the air is the main reason for the air force to buy F-16Vs, the document said.
PLA aircraft have flown near Taiwan 55 times since 2015 by flying over the seas north of Taiwan, through the Bashi Channel, or along the north-south axis on the eastern edge of Taiwan’s airspace, it said.
Eight restaurants in Taiwan yesterday secured a one-star rating from the Michelin Guide Taiwan for the first time, while three one-star restaurants from last year’s edition were promoted to two stars. Forty-three restaurants were awarded one star this year, including 34 in Taipei, five in Taichung and four in Kaohsiung. Hosu (好嶼), Chuan Ya (川雅), Sushi Kajin (鮨嘉仁), aMaze (心宴), La Vie by Thomas Buhner, Yuan Yi (元一) and Frassi in Taipei and Front House (方蒔) in Kaohsiung received a one-star rating for the first time. Hosu is known for innovative Taiwanese dishes, while Chuan Ya serves Sichuan cuisine and aMaze specializes
Taitung County is to launch charter flights to Malaysia at the end of this year, after setting up flights to Vietnam and Thailand, the Taitung County Government said yesterday. The new charter flight services, provided by low-cost carrier Batik Air Malaysia, would be part of five-day tour packages for visits to Taitung County or Malaysia. The Batik Air charter flight, with about 200 seats, would take Malaysian tourists to Taitung on Dec. 30 and then at 12:35pm return to Kuala Lumpur with Taiwanese tourists. Another charter flight would bring the Taiwanese home on Jan. 3 next year, arriving at 5:30pm, before taking the
Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp. (THSRC) plans to ease strained capacity during peak hours by introducing new fare rules restricting passengers traveling without reserved seats in 2026, company Chairman Shih Che (史哲) said Wednesday. THSRC needs to tackle its capacity issue because there have been several occasions where passengers holding tickets with reserved seats did not make it onto their train in stations packed with individuals traveling without a reserved seat, Shih told reporters in a joint interview in Taipei. Non-reserved seats allow travelers maximum flexibility, but it has led to issues relating to quality of service and safety concerns, especially during
An exhibition celebrating Taiwan and Japan’s comic culture opened on Saturday in Taichung, featuring a section that explores Taiwanese reproductions of Japanese comics from when martial law limited Japanese representation. “A Century of Manga Culture: An Encounter of Taiwan and Japan’s Youth” held its Taiwan opening ceremony at Taichung’s National Taiwan Museum of Comics after an initial one-month run in Japan’s Kyoto International Manga Museum between May 24 and June 24. Much like the Kyoto exhibition, the show mainly celebrates the comic connection between Taiwan and Japan through late Taiwanese comic book
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