Air force’s operational costs surge as China steps up warplane incursionsBy Aaron Tu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerPeople’s Liberation Army (PLA) incursions into Taiwan’s airspace have led to a surge in the operational costs of the Republic of China Air Force, the Ministry of National Defense said. The air force’s equipment and facility costs are projected to reach a record NT$29.2 billion (US$1.05 billion) next fiscal year, the ministry said in a budget report dated Tuesday. They include NT$17.2 billion for maintenance and NT$11.9 billion for purchasing new materiel, up 56 percent from fiscal 2016, the ministry said. These costs conform to the trend of rising year-on-year maintenance costs, which stem from missions to intercept PLA aircraft, it said. In 2018, it shifted its focus from aerial circumnavigation of Taiwan’s airspace to incursions of the southwestern air defense identification zone (ADIZ), it said.

Source: Taipei Times September 10, 2021 15:56 UTC