In the face of China’s military buildup, cooperating with Taiwan on fighter-jet maintenance and repair would be ideal for other countries that are also friendly to the US, he said. Lockheed Martin — the US manufacturer of the aircraft — in December last year signed a strategic agreement with AIDC to promote its role as a regional repair center for the model, it said. One of the center’s advantages over those in the US would be its lower maintenance and repair rates, which could be appealing to neighboring countries, he said. KMT Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信) said the center should focus on maintaining the nation’s own aircraft, adding that plans on regional cooperation were too lofty. Singapore and South Korea were capable of repairing their own aircraft and would not risk conflict with China by cooperating with Taiwan, Chen said, adding that India would likely establish its own repair center.

Source: Taipei Times August 23, 2020 15:56 UTC