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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Tsai touts F-16 maintenance center
President Tsai Ing-wen, front second left, listens to briefings during an inspection tour at the F-16 maintenance center in Taichung yesterday. Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
QUICK FIX: The Taiwan-US joint venture has shortened the time required to repair vital components and bolstered the air force’s preparedness, the president said
/ Staff writer, with CNA, Taichung
President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） yesterday lauded a Taiwan-US joint venture F-16 maintenance center in Taichung, which has in two years facilitated the repair of more than 100 spare parts for the US-made fighter jets.
During an inspection of the facility, Tsai said that efforts made by the center, Taiwan’s military and Taiwan-based companies since the inauguration of the venture in August 2020 have made it easier for Taiwan to significantly boost the availability of its F-16s.
The center is a joint project between Lockheed Martin Corp and state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp （AIDC, 漢翔航空工業）.
F-16 jets serve as the backbone of the air force, but there was often a shortage of spare parts because they had to be sourced from the US, which was time-consuming and extremely expensive, Tsai said.
The center has significantly shortened the time required for F-16 maintenance, contributing to a more stable and prepared air force amid increasing Chinese military threats in the airspace around Taiwan, she said.
“The center is a concrete symbol of the joint Taiwan-US defense industry,” Tsai said.
In the face of Chinese “authoritarian expansionism,” Taiwan will continue to work closely with democratic partners on national security issues, while bolstering the nation’s self-defense capabilities and upgrading its aerospace industry, she said.
“The more we are prepared, the less the chance there is for those who would attempt to invade us to make rash moves against us; the more united we are, the stronger and safer Taiwan is,” Tsai said.
During Tsai’s inspection, 63 Taiwanese companies that have working relationships with the air force gave presentations on their work.
AIDC and another 10 companies were yesterday awarded Airworthiness Certificates by the air force, meaning the spare parts they produce have been certified for use by the military.
Taiwan is upgrading all of its 140 F-16 A/Bs to the F-16V model, with the addition of more advanced avionics, such as APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar and a helmet-mounted cueing system, as well as other flight management and electronic warfare systems.
Taiwan also purchased 66 new F-16V jets from the US, with deliveries expected to start next year.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
