A successful attempt by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology to develop external pods for the nation’s locally made fighter jets would allow the military to shore up its electronic warfare capability, a military source said yesterday.
Development of the external pods would address the Taiwan-made Indigenous Defense Fighter’s (IDF) lack of electronic warfare capabilities, the source said, adding that dependable pods would considerably enhance the fighter jets’ combat effectiveness.
Larger fighter jets — such as the F-16Vs that Taiwan is purchasing from the US — come with such equipment built in, the source added.
Photo: Yu Tai-lang, Taipei Times
The IDF’s narrower frame cannot accommodate the electronics, so the military commissioned the institute to design an indigenous external pod.
Also, the number of companies that supply radar warning receivers has been dwindling.
The air force’s Phoenix Rising Project has purchased external pods with digital radio frequency memory for the nation’s fleet of F-16A/B jets, which are receiving F-16V upgrades — a source of controversy.
The Control Yuan in 2018 told the Republic of China Air Force Command Headquarters to improve its protocols for purchasing equipment.
However, the pod development might encounter obstacles regarding US research and development on new pods, the source said.
Delivery of the 66 F-16Vs would not be affected, but the US is reassessing the functionality and overhead cost of the F-16V’s electronic warfare suite, Air Force Command Headquarters said on March 21, adding that it would consider purchasing any add-ons or making other changes within the guidelines of the Special Act for New Fighter Acquisition (新式戰機採購特別條例及預算).
The military has spotted two Chinese warships operating in waters near Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait and sent its own naval and air forces to monitor the vessels, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Beijing sends warships and warplanes into the waters and skies around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, drawing condemnation from Taipei. While the ministry offers daily updates on the locations of Chinese military aircraft, it only rarely gives details of where Chinese warships are operating, generally only when it detects aircraft carriers, as happened last week. A Chinese destroyer and a frigate entered waters to the southwest
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
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The next minimum wage hike is expected to exceed NT$30,000, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday during an award ceremony honoring “model workers,” including migrant workers, at the Presidential Office ahead of Workers’ Day today. Lai said he wished to thank the awardees on behalf of the nation and extend his most sincere respect for their hard work, on which Taiwan’s prosperity has been built. Lai specifically thanked 10 migrant workers selected for the award, saying that although they left their home countries to further their own goals, their efforts have benefited Taiwan as well. The nation’s industrial sector and small businesses lay
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