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Taiwan Tries Again For F-16's


Dawes

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Spoiler alert: he'll go wobbly. God's gift to evangelicals is the king of backtracking; by the time the election comes around all China sanctions will be dropped and the F-16 deal will be cancelled.

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Those aren't cheapo versions.

 

Cheapo version of F-16 is hardly so hot ship these days that it would actually change balance of military power. Chinese might pretend some outrage but that's it.

Not cheapo versions. Block 70/72 - newest version.

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Block 70 is cheapo version compared to Block 60. The modernization is relatively modest: many of the capabilities are designed so they can be upgraded to older aircraft, which Taiwan is actually doing.

Of course it's still a big update compared to Ching-Kuo or F-5. Any ways, previous F-16 sale fell through so this too is far from certain. Though the need for more modern aircraft has become much more acute meanwhile.

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Don't go wobbly, Donald...

OTOH, he might sell them F-35 if the PRC misbehaves towards Hongkong. :)

 

 

As much as I like the idea of arming the Taiwanese with the latest and greatest, it doesn't take much imagination to see the Chicoms "persuading" a Taiwanese pilot to defect to Mother China with a brand new and shiny F-35.

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Don't go wobbly, Donald...

OTOH, he might sell them F-35 if the PRC misbehaves towards Hongkong. :)

 

 

As much as I like the idea of arming the Taiwanese with the latest and greatest, it doesn't take much imagination to see the Chicoms "persuading" a Taiwanese pilot to defect to Mother China with a brand new and shiny F-35.

 

Yea, you can pretty much count on anything we sell them being compromised by the PRC.

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Don't go wobbly, Donald...

OTOH, he might sell them F-35 if the PRC misbehaves towards Hongkong. :)

 

 

As much as I like the idea of arming the Taiwanese with the latest and greatest, it doesn't take much imagination to see the Chicoms "persuading" a Taiwanese pilot to defect to Mother China with a brand new and shiny F-35.

 

Yea, you can pretty much count on anything we sell them being compromised by the PRC.

 

 

I didn't want to come out and say it. I thought everyone would call it TDS.

Edited by Josh
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I didn't want to come out and say it. I thought everyone would call it TDS.

 

 

I don't know why anyone would be operating under the impression you suffer from TDS.

 

Spoiler alert: he'll go wobbly. God's gift to evangelicals is the king of backtracking; by the time the election comes around all China sanctions will be dropped and the F-16 deal will be cancelled.

 

 

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If youre m wrong, its TDS.

 

If Im right, what will you call it?

 

Dude did you even read what you posted? I don't care that you irrationally dislike Trump, I am the same way with Obama. Just own up to it.

 

God's gift to evangelicals is the king of backtracking

 

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If youre m wrong, its TDS.

 

If Im right, what will you call it?

 

Dude did you even read what you posted? I don't care that you irrationally dislike Trump, I am the same way with Obama. Just own up to it.

 

God's gift to evangelicals is the king of backtracking

 

 

 

You do not need "trump derangement syndrome" to dislike Trump.

 

 


 

BTT

 

 

The F-16CD block 70 would certainly add some big capabilities to the republican chinese air force. And be more sustainable than the F-5. which can be considered vintage or classic by now. Though in the grander scheme of things the PLAAF will still just overwhelm them if they wanted to. And probably destroy most planes on the ground anyway.

Edited by Panzermann
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Don't go wobbly, Donald...

Recent history shows that if someone's going to go wobbly, it's Taiwanese themselves. But I have hopes this time they'll mean it.

 

Lockheed Martin advertises the Block 70 as having a structural life 50% greater than previous variants. Not sure if that includes Block 60 or not.

As many warplanes have ended up staying in service far beyond their originally designed lifespan (F-15C was designed for 4000 hours IIRC, now they're pushing 10000) it has become fashionable for manufacturers to present much extended service lives, Boeing is now offering 20k hours for latest F-15 variants. Whether it actually proves useful with new technological paradigms coming up, remains to be seen.

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Not so sure about the PRC being able to destroy most or all ROCAF fighter aircraft on the ground. In all fighter airbases on the East coast, the aircraft are stored in artificial mountain caves, while all airbases on the West coast possess extensive HAS systems. No fighter plane is left standing in the open.

https://www.scramble.nl/orbats/taiwan/airforce

 

Of course, all run- and taxiways are exposed and getting the planes in the air after a cruise and ballistic missile barrage may pose quite a challenge. Naturally this all depends on the extent of the damage, additional attack waves, UXO and the capability of the rapid runway repair crews on these bases.

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