Posted on 05/01/2012 8:12:33 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Why is the US considering F-16 sales to Taiwan?
Political shifts in China, Taiwan, and the US have revived the prospect of a US F-16 deal with Taiwan.
Taipei, Taiwan
In September, the United States politely told Taiwan it would not sell its late-model F-16 fighter jets to help Taiwan keep up with the military might of China. Taiwan was disappointed. China's response was low key.
his month, however, the White House said the sale deserved “serious consideration.” This announcement comes despite the fact that China sees any sale of the F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan as a red line in its relationship with the US. Nothing has happened yet, but a prolonged protest and suspension of Sino-US exchanges are expected if the sale goes through – similar to China’s reaction in January 2010 when a $6.4 billion Taiwan arms package was approved.
Why the change of tone?
The answer lies in a constellation of political events within Taiwan, the US, and China. At the core, Washington wants to sell F-16s to Taiwan in order to send China a signal of US strength at a weak juncture in the Chinese leadership and during a calm political period in Taiwan.
China and Taiwan are enjoying a high point in their relationship. And the US has never totally opposed the multibillion-dollar deal to sell fighter jets to Taiwan, despite its rejection last year, say analysts; The US has only been waiting for the right conditions. Because China may be too preoccupied with its own leadership transition to cause much of a stink about the mention of F-16s, the time is perfect to put a sale into the approval pipeline, say analysts.
“The basic bottom line is that the US is determined to sell,” says George Tsai, politi
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
In this April 2011 file photo, a Taiwan Air Force F-16 fighter lands on a section of highway during a military drill in Madou, Tainan city, south of Taiwan. The US is considering F-16 sales to Taiwan in order to send China a signal of US strength.
Chiang Ying-ying/AP/File
Because they are still a protectors and have never been released from administration under USJMC as a result of armistice in WWII.
Just guessing though....
Which begs the question of why the Obama administration would actually consider helping them?
Ping.
The F-16 we sell, is typically the airframe. An airframe is only a small piece of the puzzle, other significant pieces are the engines, offensive/defensive electronics, ground radar and weaponry.
We don’t sell the best we have, however we say you have such-and-such mounting points, some quantity of power available, and they have to fill in the blanks.
No one matches a US F-16. No one.
It’s a throwaway.
By saying the US will sell F16’s to Taiwan, China complains, the US gets something out of the deal then Obama kills the deal to Taiwan....again.
Why is the US considering F-16 sales to Taiwan? Considering Obama’s devotion to the cause of global communism, that’s an interesting question with a complex (’smoke & mirrors’) answer for sure. His pal KGB Putin in Russia has been staging joint war games with the ChiComs since 2005 in preparation for a Taiwan invasion and to counter US military might. ie, their “New World Order”.
Someone made the right amount of campaign contributions, thats why.
This is the second time I've heard this in the last couple days. I've heard very few details: Some guy bigwig named Bo is being discredited and may have stepped in it well enough to get himself purged. A blind dissident that has exposed the regime's forced abortions is holed up in the US consolate. The Chinese citizens are getting a good view of just how corrupt their government is.
I'm starting to get the feeling something big is brewing.
Because by selling advanced weapons to Taiwan, Taiwan will be able to defend itself and (even better) war over Taiwan will be avoided, WITHOUT direct military involvement by the US. The last thing the US wants now (or should want, anyway) is to get directly involved in a war with China. But the Taiwan Relations Act mandates it in case of a Chinese invasion. The solution: Sell Taiwan effective weaponry so it won’t happen.
teh us is in a conflict mode with china due to that blind dissident. by reviving the old “arm taiwan with f-16’s” canard, they’re setting up a bargaining chip
you are probably correct
Pei Ping.
Not even close. Th F-16s is just another ....”had been”. Today it is nothing more then a sorry piece of junk when pitted against the likes of Su-30MK, J-12, Su-35s not to mention the stealthy J-20. All of them qualitatively superior to F-16s not to mention FAR superior in quantity and capability. The only reason why US is now ready to sell F-16s to Taiwan is because it has very little effect on the overall power balance against China.
Not even close. Th F-16s is just another ....”had been”. Today it is nothing more then a sorry piece of junk when pitted against the likes of Su-30MK, J-12, Su-35s not to mention the stealthy J-20. All of them qualitatively superior to F-16s not to mention FAR superior in quantity and capability. The only reason why US is now ready to sell F-16s to Taiwan is because it has very little effect on the overall power balance against China.
Whoa, there cowboy
I've never said that the F-16 is the greatest airplane in the world. It's common knowledge that it's far from the best plane out there. There are superior aircraft almost everywhere - significantly more expensive - but there are better aircraft (not counting the F-35 or F-22).
What I am saying is that we do not sell our F-16's with the cutting edge electronics, ECMs, weaponry, radar and engines - we save the 'best' for ourselves. Taiwan is buying a proven airframe, they then can load the airframe with engines, radar, ECMs and other goodies that they either produce themselves, or from older technology that we do sell.
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