Armée Taiwanaise / Republic of China Armed Forces(ROCAF)

Citation :

Trainees scream while crawling through the Taiwan Marines frogmen "Road to Heaven" test in Zuoying, Kaohsiung, southern Taiwan, February 6, 2010. The "Road to Heaven" test, which is the final stage of a nine week intensive Amphibious Training Program, requires trainees to execute various exercises and leopard crawl along a 50 metre long path that is littered with jagged corals and rocks.

Citation :

Europe Risks Angering China by Agreeing Taiwan Helicopter Deal

(Source: Deutsche Welle German radio)

European firm Eurocopter says it has agreed terms to sell three helicopters to Taiwan less than a week after the United States angered China by saying it would deliver $6.4 billion worth of arms to the island.

In a deal that could strain Sino-European ties, Airbus sister company Eurocopter has announced it is to sell three helicopters to Taiwan in a deal worth around 80 million euros ($110 million).

Taiwanese military officials said the deal with Eurocopter - a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) - was finalized in January. The helicopters are due to be delivered by the end of 2011.

"We invited international tenders. The Eurocopter Group won the bid because its price was lower than our bottom price," Air Force press officer Yin Shih-hsien told DPA news agency.

Beijing has so far offered a muted response to the Eurocopter deal, which involves three EC225 long-range transport helicopters, saying it understood the aircraft were intended for rescue missions.

"We will continue to watch this issue closely, in particular the use of these helicopters," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said in an official statement.

The procurement follows an agreement between the US and Taiwan, which China regards as a breakaway province, for $6.4 billion worth of military equipment. China has since threatened sanctions against US firms involved in the deal, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

The Eurocopter deal marks only the third European arms sale to Taiwan in the last 40 years, due mainly to political sensitivity over China-Taiwan relations. Beijing has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when nationalists fled to the island at the conclusion of the Chinese civil war.

A Dutch deal in the 1970s for two submarines ended in Beijing downgrading diplomatic ties with the Netherlands. More recently, in 1993, China closed the French consulate in southern Guangdong province after Paris sought to sell Taiwan advance fighter jets.

Citation :

Taiwan drops request for U.S. military subs: source

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan has effectively dropped a request for U.S. submarines to help shore up the balance of power with political rival China, a military source said on Tuesday, dissolving what could be a new rift in tense Sino-U.S. ties.


Defense officials on the island that has fallen behind in the military balance of power with China had agreed with Washington in 2008 to a study on upgrading Taiwan's aging submarine fleet but will stop pushing the item to keep peace with Beijing, said a source close to the Defense ministry in Taipei.
"Taiwan isn't asking for the submarines anymore," the source told Reuters. "The biggest consideration was the warming of relations with mainland China."
China has blasted the United States over a planned $6.4-billion arms package for Taiwan, saying it would place sanctions on U.S. firms that sell weapons to the island.
The package would include Patriot missiles and Black Hawk transport helicopters, also part of the 2008 agreement.
Taiwan still hopes to get advanced U.S.-made F-16 jets though, to boost its existing fleet to deal with China's growing numbers of Russian-designed Su-30 and Su-27 fighters.
A submarine sale would further ignite Beijing's anger toward Washington and could turn it against Taiwan, which has avoided China's wrath over the recent arms proposal.
Taiwan has sought peace with China since Beijing-friendly island President Ma Ying-jeou took office in 2008, brokering a series of trade and tourism deals.
China has claimed sovereignty over self-ruled Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island. Beijing has threatened to attack if Taiwan declares formal independence.
Taiwan's navy includes four submarines, two of which date from World War Two and are now used only for training, according to GlobalSecurity.org.
China has more than 60 submarines, some capable of carrying nuclear ballistic missiles.
"My guess is that the submarine issue is sunk, never to surface again," said Ralph Cossa, president of the U.S. think tank Pacific Forum CSIS.

Reuters

Fremo a écrit:

Citation :

Taiwan drops request for U.S. military subs: source

Citation :

Taiwan insists submarines, jets still on arms agenda



Taiwan on Tuesday dismissed a report saying the island has dropped a request for US submarines, saying the vessels and fighter jets remained on the island's arms procurement agenda.
The world's largest unmanned submarine, the 111 foot LSV 2 "Cutthroat" being housed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division in 2005 in Idaho. Taiwan on Tuesday dismissed a report saying the island has dropped a request for US submarines, saying the vessels and fighter jets remained on the island's arms procurement agenda.

"It is absolutely untrue," Taiwan's defence ministry spokesman Yu Sy-tue told AFP.
"We hope the United States will provide submarines and F-16 C/Ds Taiwan has requested in accordance with the Taiwan Relations Act," the spokesman said.
Yu was reacting to a report which cited an unnamed military source as saying that the island was no longer asking for the submarines, because of rapidly improving ties between Taipei and Beijing.
Jason Yuan, Taiwan's de facto ambassador to Washington, said late January the United States was still considering whether to sell the submarines and F-16 fighter jets to the island despite the latest Beijing-Washington row over a 6.4-billion-dollar arms package.
Washington last month announced the package for Taiwan included Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, but did not include the submarines and new fighter aircraft.
Analysts have said they doubt Washington would risk angering Beijing by approving the more sensitive items, but Yuan said the United States had never ruled out selling the submarines and fighters to Taiwan.
Beijing has reacted angrily to the arms deal, saying it would cut military and security contacts with the United States.
Chinese defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the reprisals reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal with Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway territory.
Washington, which is required by the Taiwan Relations Act to supply Taiwan with sufficient weapons to defend itself, argues that the deal "contributes to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait".

Bangkok Post

Citation :

L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $7,869,228 contract which will provide for aircraft flightline maintenance for F-16 aircraft and add sharpshooter targeting pod maintenance in support of Taiwan’s F-16 program at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. AETC/CONS/LGCI, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-09-C-0006,P00004).

Citation :

Taiwan Compensated For Flaws In Mirage Jets

TAIPEI - Taiwan's air force said March 21 that it had received more than $3 million worth of parts and maintenance service because of a flaw in the island's French-made Mirage fighter fleet.
The Air Force had been effectively compensated in November over cracks in the blades of several Mirage engines, which had prompted the Air Force to reduce the time of training and various flight missions for the fleet.Related Topics "Since then, the combat readiness rate of the Mirage fleet has rebounded to reach the standards targeted by the defense ministry," the air force said.
Dassault Aviation makes the jet, but it was another firm responsible for the engines that paid the costs, the Air Force said, without elaborating.
Taiwan's air force has 56 Mirages

defensenews

Citation :

Taiwan répond au porte-avions chinois




L'heure a beau être à l'apaisement depuis bientôt deux ans dans le détroit de Formose, les gesticulations militaires ne sont pas encore boudées. Surtout en ce moment côté taïwanais, avec la mauvaise passe que traverse le KMT. Taipeh a ainsi dévoilé pour la première fois les images numérisées de sa future corvette lance-missiles, présentée par la presse taïwanaise comme un "tueur de porte-avions" (photo AFP). Et donc comme une réponse à la volonté de Pékin de se doter d'un ou plusieurs porte-aéronefs dans les années qui viennent. Toujours selon la presse, le navire devrait évoluer à 30 noeuds et être en riche en technologies permettant d'échapper à la détection radar. Et être équipé de missiles anti-navires Hsiungfeng III.

Il y a peu, le patron du Commandement Pacifique américain basé à Hawaï, l'Amiral Robert Willard, a affirmé devant une commission du Congrès que la Chine pourrait avoir un premier porte-avions dans deux ans. Mais avoir un porte-avions à la mer est une chose et disposer d'un groupe aéronaval complet et opérationnel en est une autre. La maîtrise des opérations aéronavales est complexe et ne s'improvise pas, les militaires chinois se montrant d'ailleurs désireux de recueillir le plus d'expériences possibles sur le sujet. Même à Taiwan, les experts s'accordent à dire qu'il faudra peut-être encore dix ans pour que la Chine ait une vraie capacité dans ce domaine. On peut d'ailleurs s'interroger sur le bruit fait autour de ce porte-avions chinois. Certes, l'arme est spectaculaire et a une forte signification en termes de posture géopolitique et diplomatique. Mais stratégiquement, la vraie montée en puissance navale chinoise se situe dans doute sous la mer. Avec des sous-marins dont les capacités d'interdiction d'accès aux mers de Chine sont bien plus importantes qu'un porte-avions toujours très vulnérable.

Le Figaro

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EADS wins orders to equip three helicopters of Royal Thai Air Force

EADS Defence & Security (DS) has been ordered to equip three additional helicopters of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) with its obstacle warning system. This device, which is known as “HELLAS” (Helicopter Laser Radar), ensures the detection of obstacles that are virtually invisible for pilots, such as high-voltage power lines, thus enabling missions to be carried out even under difficult visibility conditions.

Before this, in 2005, Defence Electronics, an integrated activity of DS, already delivered three obstacle warning systems to the Royal Thai Air Force, which have been integrated into Bell 412 helicopters. The HELLAS systems currently ordered will, for the first time, be installed on-board Sikorsky S-92 helicopters.

“HELLAS enables pilots to detect and avoid the smallest of obstacles, even when visibility is bad, thus offering crucial protection against one of the main causes of helicopter accidents,” explains Bernd Wenzler, CEO of Defence Electronics.

The HELLAS obstacle warning system was specifically developed for use on-board helicopters. It has been successfully used for many years in German Federal Police helicopters and in 14 civil defence helicopters. HELLAS scans the airspace ahead of the helicopter using a laser beam that poses no danger to the human eye. It detects even extremely thin wires with a high accuracy from distances of up to 1,000 metres.

On the HELLAS display, the pilot sees a grey-scale, in-depth image of the landscape in front of the helicopter. Potential obstacles are displayed in a red signal colour so that the helicopter crew can identify and fly around them in time.

defenseworld

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Taiwan To Get 24 BAE Vehicles For PACs


TAIPEI - The U.S. government awarded a $5.5 million firm fixed-price contract to BAE Systems of Sealy, Texas, on April 26 for 24 vehicles in support of Taiwan's recent procurement of Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile defense systems.

These include eight 5-ton M1086 A1P2 long cargo vehicles with material handling equipment, nine 5-ton M1096 A1P2 long chassis vehicles and seven 5-ton M1088 A1P2 tractors. The medium heavy vehicles make up the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) produced by BAE Systems for the U.S. Army. All are full-time all-wheeled drive and C-130 transportable. Related Topics

Estimated completion date for the vehicles is December 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Contracting Center, Michigan, was the contracting activity.

defensenews

Citation :

La presse chinoise nous apprend que le constructeur français Dassault a fourni en compensation l'équivalent de 10 millions € pour maintenir en état les moteurs Snecma M53-P2 sur une partie des Mirage 2000 taïwanais. Des personnels chinois ont été formés à l'occasion en même temps que des pièces détachées ont été fournies.

sources: taipeitimes.com et taiwaninfo.nat.gov.tw

La suite (logique?)...

Citation :

Après que la Cour internationale d’arbitrage a condamné Thales, anciennement Thomson-CSF, à verser à Taiwan 591 millions de dollars américains dans le cadre de l’affaire des frégates Lafayette – somme à laquelle il faut ajouter les intérêts et les frais d’arbitrage –, les regards se tournent vers un autre contrat d’armement : celui concernant la vente à Taiwan, en 1992, de 48 Mirage 2000-5Ei et 12 Mirage 2000-5D...

http://taiwaninfo.nat.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=102077&CtNode=458&htx_TRCategory=&mp=4

Frégate, Mirage 2000, sous marin Agosta..... Bientôt une affaire sur les Leclerc Emiraties ?

Citation :

Taiwan Launches Stealth Missile Ship Squadron
The Taiwanese Navy has launched its first stealth missile ship squadron at Tsoying naval base in southern Taiwan to strengthen the island's combat capabilities.
The new missile ship squadron comprises ten boats, each equipped with four Hsiung Feng II ship-to-ship missiles with a range of 150km.
The navy currently operates 50t Seagull Class boats, which will be replaced by the 186t Kuang Hwa Six boats with enhanced combat capabilities.
The 34m-long Kuang Hwa Six vessels feature stealth technology to reduce the reflection of radar waves and can cruise at a maximum speed of 33 knots.
Taiwan has contracted China Shipbuilding Corporation to build a total of 30 vessels, of which 12 have been delivered to the navy since construction began in 2003

naval-technology

Citation :

US to Evaluate Taiwan F-16 Fighter Deal
The US is to evaluate a request to upgrade Taiwan's existing F-16 A/B fighters or sell new F-16 C/D fighters to help sustain its air defence capability.
USAF deputy under secretary of the air force for international affairs Bruce Lemkin told Focus Taiwan it needed to replace its aging F-16 A/B fleet to sustain air defence capability in the years to come.
Lemkin said that further assessment of how to improve Taiwan's air defence, either by upgrading its existing fleet or selling it new aircraft, would be required.
Taiwan's repeated request to the US Government to approve the sale of 66 F-16 C/Ds to replace its obsolete F-5 E/F fighters, has so far neither been accepted nor rejected by Washington.
Members of the US Congress and the Washington-based US-Taiwan Business Council are also urging Washington to decide quickly on the request.

airforce-technology

Citation :

Taiwan Sends Aircraft to U.S. For Upgrade

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's defence ministry said Wednesday it has shipped two Hawkeye early warning aircraft to the United States to boost their capabilities.

The planes will be upgraded to a model similar to aircraft currently being used by the U.S. Navy, and are expected to return to Taiwan late next year, the ministry said
"The upgrading will make fleet management more effective ... and satisfy our early warning combat needs in all types of weather," it said in a statement.
The island will upgrade a total of four aircraft in a process that is expected to cost $175 million and last three years, a defence official said.
The United States in January approved a $6.4 billion arms package to Taiwan, prompting a furious Beijing to halt military exchanges and security talks with Washington.
China opposes any arms sales to Taiwan, which it regards as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, even though the two sides have been governed separately since the end of a civil war in 1949.
Washington has remained the leading arms supplier to the self-ruled island, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979.

defensenews

Citation :

U.S. To Sell Taiwan Two Frigates: Report
TAIPEI - The U.S. will arm Taiwan with two frigates to help the island boost its defense capabilities against China, according to reports Aug. 5.

The U.S. government has notified Taiwan of the sale at a price of $40 million of two Perry-class frigates about to be retired from the U.S. Navy, Taipei's Apple Daily said, citing a defense ministry source
Taiwan's navy said it had not yet received information about the reported frigate sale.
"Taiwan's navy already operates a fleet of eight such frigates, but it has launched a five-year buildup beginning from 2008," naval spokesman Hsia Yu-teh said.
Taiwanese media have said the planned buildup includes eight conventional submarines, as well as an undisclosed number of frigates and guided-missile patrol boats.
Tensions across the Taiwan Strait have eased significantly since President Ma Ying-jeou of the China-friendly Kuomintang party came to power in 2008, pledging to boost trade links and allow in more Chinese tourists.
But Beijing still refuses to rule out the use of force against Taiwan should it declare formal independence, prompting the island to seek more defensive weapons.
The island has governed itself since it split from the mainland in 1949 at the end of a civil war.
China has reportedly increased its missiles aimed at Taiwan from 300 in 2001 to 1,400 in 2008.
Washington announced in January a weapons package for Taiwan that includes Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, and equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fighter jets, but no submarines or new fighter aircraft.
Beijing reacted angrily to the arms deal, halting military and security contacts with the United States.

defensenews

République de Chine (Taïwan)
ZhongHuá MínGuó (zh)
中華民國 (zh)







http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ta%C3%AFwan




L'Armée de la République de Chine - (Armée Taiwanaise) :



http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arm%C3%A9e_ta%C3%AFwanaise










































































Made in Taiwan


Made in Taiwan



































T91 carbine (Made in Taiwan)


T93 sniper rifle

Republic of China Air Force

Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn
中華民國空軍



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_China_Air_Force

Mirage 2000-5


F-16 Block 20 fighter with AIM-120C-5, AIM-9M missiles




AT-3 Jet Trainers




XA-3




S-70C Bluehawk.








Here's some classic fighters of the RoCAF. F-104 Starfighter


RF-101 Voodoo

F-100 Super Sabre


RoCAF aircraft formation F-5, F-16, Mirage 2000, F-CK-1 and E-2.


AIDC PL-1.

RoCAF F-104DJ.


RF-104G LOROP.

Republic of China Navy

Zhōnghuá Mínguó Hǎijūn
中華民國海軍



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_China_Navy



Kang Ding-class (Lafayette-class)

















Hai Lung class submarine