Upgrades to boost defense: expertsBy Lo Tien-pin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe military’s upgraded Lockheed Martin F-16s are a major boost to Taiwan’s defense, defense experts said yesterday, as the air force marked the commission of the jets in a ceremony at Chiayi Air Base. Taiwan air force F-16V fighter jets are pictured yesterday in Chiayi County. “The air force’s potential to defeat a numerically superior enemy in modern air defense operations is greatly enhanced by the integrated tactical network capabilities offered by 4.5-generation fighters such as F-16Vs,” he said. The document says that the armed forces’ concept of all-out defense has shifted from defending beachheads and waters near Taiwan to pushing the defense zone toward the enemy, he said. Lin Ying-yu (林穎佑), an assistant professor of strategic and international affairs at National Chung Cheng University, said that the AESA-equipped F-16Vs would be a welcome improvement for the air force.

Source: Taipei Times November 19, 2021 12:39 UTC