Summary
- The Taiwanese Air Force operates a modern, mostly Western-built fighter and support aircraft fleet.
- The combat aircraft of the Air Force include the Northrop F-5, AIDC F-CK-1, Dassault Mirage 2000, and F-16 Fighting Falcon.
- Beyond fighter jets, the Air Force also operates reconnaissance, support, patrol, and transport planes and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Few international fighting forces must remain as combat-ready as the Republic of China Air Force, an organization that is more commonly known as the Taiwanese Air Force. Just off the coastline of mainland China, with which it must always remain prepared for conflict, the force is almost always carefully patrolling the area and anticipating any developments that could quickly unfold.
As a result, the Taiwanese Air Force has, for decades, operated a modern fleet of Western-built fighter and support aircraft, many of which have been supplied by the United States and other allies. From light fighters like the Northrop F-5 to all-weather air superiority weapons, the organization maintains a healthy inventory that would allow it to counter any threat.
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Serving alongside a slew of Western fighters is a fleet of over 100 homegrown military combat aircraft.
The force, however, operates fighter aircraft and deploys dozens of reconnaissance, support, patrol, and transport planes to support its many missions. In this article, we will examine Taiwan’s aerial fighting force’s extensive capabilities.
Fighter jets
As one would expect, the backbone of the Taiwanese Air Force consists of its combat aircraft, all of which are fighter jets. However, not all of these planes are American-built, with European and Taiwanese-built types also featuring prominently. The specific aircraft in the organization’s inventory are detailed in the table below:
|
Aircraft: |
Number in service: |
Variants: |
|---|---|---|
|
Northrop F-5 |
62 |
F-5E/F |
|
AIDC F-CK-1 |
129 |
F-CK-1C/D |
|
Dassault Mirage 2000 |
54 |
2000-5EI/DI |
|
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon |
140 |
F-16A/V/B/V |
The F-5 is the smallest of these jets. It is a maneuverable light fighter that serves several different roles. The organization originally received an order for 115 F-5A and F-5B aircraft in 1965, with dozens transferred to South Vietnam. Today, only a handful of combat-capable F-5s remain, as most have been converted into trainer aircraft, and all are slated for retirement by the end of 2025.
The AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo is a Taiwanese-built multirole combat fighter developed in the 1990s and named after the Republic of China’s president, Chiang Ching-kuo. The program was launched when the United States refused to sell Taiwan a handful of fourth-generation fighter jets. These aircraft still serve a key purpose in the Taiwanese Air Force, and 26 have been converted into trainer variants.
The French-built Dassault Mirage 2000 is another key piece of the organization’s fleet. First ordering the type in 1997, Taiwan purchased a fleet of 60 Mirage 2000 jets and continues to explore opportunities to extend their service lifespans, according to The Eurasian Times.
The backbone of Taiwan’s Air Force in the near future will undoubtedly be the American-built General Dynamic Fighting Falcon. The organization sank over $4 billion into developing its F-16 fleet and plans to use the multirole combat fighters to prepare to fend off any Chinese attacks. According to Air and Space Forces, the Taiwanese Air Force will still receive another 66 newly built F-16s in the next few years.
Combat support aircraft
The Taiwanese Air Force operates far more than the dozens of fighter jets previously mentioned, with multiple different kinds of support and transport aircraft. Most important of these are the organization’s combat support aircraft or those that provide real-time reconnaissance and communications capabilities.
The first of these aircraft is the Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, an Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) plane more commonly known as the key piece of aerial reconnaissance technology equipped by United States aircraft carriers. According to FlightGlobal, the Taiwanese Air Force operates six such propeller-powered aircraft.
While Taiwan does not equip the Hawkeye on any aircraft carriers, the plane still plays an important purpose in monitoring the nation’s airspace. According to Janes, the organization’s fleet is set for an upgrade, having signed an agreement with Northrop Grumman at the 2024 Singapore Airshow to work on upgrades to the platform.
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The second surveillance aircraft deployed by the Taiwanese Air Force is the American-built Lockheed P-3 Orion, which the organization equips 12 of. According to an analysis from Reuters, these maritime patrol aircraft are key elements of Taiwan’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
These planes were originally acquired by the organization via a clandestine affair with the US’s Central Intelligence Agency. Despite being in service for decades and designed on an airliner that took to the skies for the first time in 1957, the organization continues to operate these quad-engine propellor-powered planes.
Other planes
There are a number of other aircraft operated by the Taiwanese Air Force. These broadly fall into four categories:
- Transport aircraft (either cargo or personnel)
- Helicopters
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
- Trainers
The organization’s primary cargo and personnel transport plane is the American-built Lockheed C-130 Hercules tactical airlifter. Twenty of these aircraft are in service, including one that operates as a signals intelligence (SIGINT) platform.
Among the remaining aircraft are two specially configured VIP transports, one of which is Air Force 3701. This modified 737-800, purchased from Boeing in 2000, serves as the primary transport for the President of Taiwan.
The organization also operates 3 Dutch-built Fokker 50 turboprops. A pair of Beechcraft 1900 light turboprop aircraft are also deployed by the organization for reconnaissance purposes.
Regarding helicopters, the Taiwanese Air Force operates two different kinds of utility and Search and Rescue (SAR) rotorcraft. These include three Airbus-built Eurocopter EC225s and 14 American-built Sikorsky S-70s.
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In terms of trainers, the organization operates two Taiwanese-built jet trainers, with both the AIDC T-5 and the AIDC AT-3 in its inventory. Additionally, the force also equips 41 American-built Beechcraft T-34 Mentor basic trainers.
Lastly, in terms of drones, the organization currently operates 3 NCSIST Teng Yun aircraft, which are said to be similar to American-built strike UAVs. The organization has also ordered multiple units of the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper.