The nation's military plans to spend an estimated NT$7 billion over the next seven years adding stealth and long-range attack capabilities to the domestically developed Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF, 經國號).
Military sources say that once the upgrade is complete, the plane will be able to attack ground targets along China's coast and further inland using newly developed weapons.
In addition, the sources said, a special "stealth" paint developed by the military-run Chung Shan Institute of Science and Technology will help the IDF evade enemy radar.
The NT$7 billion upgrade is a part of the "offshore full-scale engagement" defense strategy proposed by President Chen Shui-bian (
Under the program, the IDF's fuel load capacity will be expanded, enabling it to launch attacks on Chinese ground targets from Taiwan.
Once the planes reach China, pilots will have two newly developed weapons at their disposal.
The first is a TC-2A anti-radiation missile, which is useful for taking out enemy radar stations. The second is a self-guided cluster bomb, which was designed mainly for destroying military airfields.
Other planned changes include an expanded missile load; the addition of a device that allows in-flight refueling; and the enhancement of electronic counter-countermeasures.
If the stealth portion of the project is successful, the IDF will become the only plane among the nation's second-generation fighters -- including US-made F-16s and French-made Mirage 2000-5s -- to have radar-evading capabilities.
The upgrade program has been code-named the "Lushan Project." The name of Lushan, a mountain in China's Jiangxi Province, has a connotation of mystery or obscurity; the mountain itself is mostly surrounded by mist throughout the year.
Although NT$7 billion has been earmarked for the project, sources say an additional budget might be needed because the program contains several sub-projects involving the development of several key military technologies.
A military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there won't be enough funds to upgrade all of the nation's 130 IDFs.
"Only several squadrons of the IDFs are scheduled to be modified," the official said. "Actually, part of the IDF upgrade task began several years ago, but could not be expanded because of a lack of funds."
The Chung Shan Institute for several years asked for the NT$7 billion needed to complete the upgrades, but it wasn't until a switch in leadership from the KMT to the DPP that the budget was approved.
The DPP and President Chen believe the nation's military should be able to engage potential enemies outside of Taiwan. But the idea has been strongly criticized by conservatives as being "provocative" and "impracticable."
The IDF upgrade project apparently aims to implement the "offshore engagement" idea.
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