KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited a low-key but critical maintenance base for fighter jet engines on Saturday (Sep 26), offering encouragement as the island's armed forces strain in the face of repeated Chinese air force incursions.
This month alone, China's drills have included its jets crossing the mid-line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait and exercising near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Beijing regards Taiwan as a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control.
Taiwan's air force has repeatedly scrambled to intercept Chinese jets. Though they have not flown over mainland Taiwan itself, the flights have ramped up pressure, both financial and physical, on Taiwan's air force to ensure its aircraft are ready to go at any moment.
READ: Taiwan president praises 'heroic' pilots who intercepted Chinese jets
Visiting the Gangshan air base in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung, Tsai received a detailed account of how the maintenance crew is making sure Taiwan's F-16 and other fighters are operating at peak performance.
Advertisement
Advertisement
She appeared slightly taken aback when told the cost of one small component for the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter was NT$380,000 (US$13,000).
Speaking later to sailors at the nearby Zuoying naval base, Tsai promised to be the strongest backer of the island's armed forces.
"If there was no backup or help from you all, the military's steadfast combat strength would be greatly reduced," she said.
READ: China says military drills near Taiwan were a 'necessary action'
Taiwan's air force is dwarfed by China's, and the strain of the multiple sorties on Taiwan's armed forces has begun to show.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry this month said the "dramatic increase" in the threat level, along with the aircraft being "middle-aged" had led to a huge increase in maintenance costs not originally budgeted for.
Saldik Fafana, 21, a trainee air force engineer at the Gangshan base, said he had noticed an impact recently. "There is more work," he told reporters.
"CONSTANTLY ON EDGE"
Taiwan is revamping its fighter line-up.
The United States last year approved an US$8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, a deal that would bringing the island's total to more than 200, the largest F-16 fleet in Asia.
Premier Su Tseng-chang expressed concern on Wednesday about the cost of the tensions with China.
"Each time the communist aircraft harassRead More – Source
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen visited a low-key but critical maintenance base for fighter jet engines on Saturday (Sep 26), offering encouragement as the island's armed forces strain in the face of repeated Chinese air force incursions.
This month alone, China's drills have included its jets crossing the mid-line of the sensitive Taiwan Strait and exercising near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Beijing regards Taiwan as a wayward province and has never renounced the use of force to bring the democratic island under its control.
Taiwan's air force has repeatedly scrambled to intercept Chinese jets. Though they have not flown over mainland Taiwan itself, the flights have ramped up pressure, both financial and physical, on Taiwan's air force to ensure its aircraft are ready to go at any moment.
READ: Taiwan president praises 'heroic' pilots who intercepted Chinese jets
Visiting the Gangshan air base in southern Taiwan's Kaohsiung, Tsai received a detailed account of how the maintenance crew is making sure Taiwan's F-16 and other fighters are operating at peak performance.
Advertisement
Advertisement
She appeared slightly taken aback when told the cost of one small component for the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter was NT$380,000 (US$13,000).
Speaking later to sailors at the nearby Zuoying naval base, Tsai promised to be the strongest backer of the island's armed forces.
"If there was no backup or help from you all, the military's steadfast combat strength would be greatly reduced," she said.
READ: China says military drills near Taiwan were a 'necessary action'
Taiwan's air force is dwarfed by China's, and the strain of the multiple sorties on Taiwan's armed forces has begun to show.
Taiwan's Defence Ministry this month said the "dramatic increase" in the threat level, along with the aircraft being "middle-aged" had led to a huge increase in maintenance costs not originally budgeted for.
Saldik Fafana, 21, a trainee air force engineer at the Gangshan base, said he had noticed an impact recently. "There is more work," he told reporters.
"CONSTANTLY ON EDGE"
Taiwan is revamping its fighter line-up.
The United States last year approved an US$8 billion sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, a deal that would bringing the island's total to more than 200, the largest F-16 fleet in Asia.
Premier Su Tseng-chang expressed concern on Wednesday about the cost of the tensions with China.
"Each time the communist aircraft harassRead More – Source
