Taiwan holds out little hope of immediate F-16 acquisition

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) has accepted that Washington is unlikely to release the 66 F-16C/D Block 50/52 fighters that the island has been trying to procure any time this year.

However, the passing of a bill in the United States calling for a presidential report on the status of Taiwan's air force has offered encouragement that the F-16 sale could still go ahead.

Washington's immediate need to reach trade and economic agreements with China and to secure Beijing's support on curtailing North Korean and Iranian nuclear programmes means that the aircraft deal, first requested by Taiwan in 2006, will remain on hold for the time being, MND officials said in mid-August.

The statement comes a week after the release of a report by the Rand Corporation, which stated that, due to the increasing "sophistication and accuracy" of China's short-range ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan, Beijing could cripple the island's air force by launching just 240 of the estimated 1,000 missiles it has deployed near the Taiwan Strait.

Beijing continues to oppose the sale of weapon systems to the island by Washington. There are also fears within some US defence circles that US weaponry sold to Taiwan could be transferred to China, as the Taiwan government continues to edge closer to Beijing.