Taiwan Pushes For F-16 Sale

A Taiwanese delegation visiting Washington on Wednesday said that their military wants to purchase advanced F-35 fighter jets that best suit its defense needs.

Kuomintang (KMT) Legislator and Association Chairman Lin Yu-fang told reporters  after a meeting at the Pentagon with David Helvey, deputy assistant secretary of defense for East Asia, to discuss Taiwan's needs for advanced defense weaponry. 

The delegation members, in their capacity as the Republic of China (ROC) lawmakers, also met with Gregory Kausner, deputy assistant secretary of state for regional security and arms transfers, at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Washington Headquarters, according to Lin. 

Lin added that Taiwan will continue to push for the purchase of F-35 fighters from the U.S. but should also consider buying a reasonable number of F-16C/D jets to replace Taiwan's aging F-5s, which are expected to be phased out in the next few years. 

When the United States agreed to upgrade Taiwan's current fleet of F-16A/B fighter jets in September 2011, it effectively ruled out the sale of the next-generation F-35s, according to Lin. 

But even if the U.S. approves the sale, the global waiting list is so long that it would take 15-20 years for Taiwan's order to be delivered, he added.