The navy plans to buy four long-range early-warning aircraft from the US to protect the Kidd-class destroyers against threat from the air or surface, according to a defense source.
The type of aircraft that the navy wants to buy is the P-3 Airborne Early Warning and Control, now serving in the US coast guard, the source said.
The US has agreed in principle to sell two P-3s to Taiwan, but the navy insists on buying four of the planes to build up its airborne early-warning capabilities.
The two sides are still negotiating over the number of P-3s to be involved in the deal. Whether the number will be two or four, the navy will become the second military branch in the country to own early-warning aircraft.
The air force now has four E-2T early-warning aircraft in operation. The E-2Ts are not as effective as the P-3s.
Chief of the General Staff General Tang Yao-ming (
Tang did not go any further into the issue, nor did the lawmaker demand any additional information beyond Tang's confirmation of the plans.
The P-3 purchase plans were worked out at the same time as the navy started to prepare for the purchase of four Kidd-class destroyers from the US, a naval official said.
The P-3s are to be used by the navy to provide early warning information to the Kidds, as the Kidds operate on the open seas, he said.
"The navy asked to buy four P-3s on the grounds that it needs that many planes to maintain a regular operation and maintenance cycle," he said.
Chang Li-teh (
"The P-3 can fly from Taiwan to Guam and stay airborne in the neighboring air space for two to three hours before it makes a return to Taiwan," Chang said.
"While watching out for the Kidds in the air, the P-3s can detect at quite an early stage a variety of hostile targets including low-flying fighter planes, cruise missiles and anti-ship missiles," he said.
"It is good for the navy to buy the P-3s. But the question now is whether the navy has the money to buy the planes. The navy just has too many things to buy in the years to come," he said.
"The navy also has to consider whether it might buy the P-3s at a higher price since the production of P-3s has been stopped in the US. We certainly have to pay much more money than we need if we ask the US to re-open a production line for the P-3s for us, Chang said."
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