An Air Force official yesterday told the legislature that the US could announce the approval of the sale of F-16C/D fighter aircraft to Taiwan as early as June.
“We have learned that the US military supports the F-16 deal and are optimistic that the US might announce the sale after May,” Air Force Chief of Staff Major General Liu Chen-wu (劉震武) told the legislature’s Diplomacy and National Defense Committee.
He said the military was awaiting the announcement.
The military expected to sign a letter of offer and acceptance for the deal in November and that at the time the military offered to make an initial payment of NT$19.9 billion (US$653.8 million), he said.
The military’s budget request in 2006 showed that the Cabinet had allocated NT$16.03 billion to begin the procurement of F-16s, even though Washington had yet to approve the deal.
The initial payment was only a fraction of the total cost for 66 aircraft. But the funds were returned after the US did not approve the arms deal.
The legislature set aside NT$20 billion for the purchase of F-16s last year, but it requested that the funds be frozen until the deal was approved.
Liu made the presentation to the legislative committee with the hope that the committee could support funding for the acquisition.
The committee agreed yesterday to unfreeze the funds if and when the US has announced the deal.
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