Republic of China Air Force
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Republic of China Air Force | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1920–present |
| Country | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Insignia | |
| The National Emblem of the Republic of China | .svg){kind=small} |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Electronic warfare |
5 |
| Fighter | 420 |
| Helicopter | 35 |
| Reconnaissance | 6 |
| Transport | 36 |
The Republic of China Air Force (traditional Chinese: 中華民國空軍; simplified Chinese: 中华民国空军; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn) is the aviation branch of the military of the Republic of China (Taiwan). The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan against an attack by the People's Republic of China. Current priorities of the ROCAF include the development of long range reconnaissance and surveillance networks, integrating C4ISTAR systems to increase battle effectiveness, procuring counterstrike weapons, next generation fighters, and hardening airfields and other facilities to survive a surprise attack.
In May 2005, the Ministry of National Defense indicated its intention to transfer command of all defensive missile systems to the ROCAF, while future offensive missiles would be placed under a newly-formed missile command.
Contents |
[edit] Organization
Like most of the other branches of the ROC armed forces, much of the ROCAF's structure and organization is patterned after the United States Air Force. Like the USAF, the ROCAF has a wing → group → squadron structure.
- Air Force General Headquarters (空軍總司令部)
- Air Force GHQ is subordinate to the General Staff (military), the Minister of Defense (civilian), and the ROC President.
- Internal Units: Personnel, Combat Readiness & Training, Logistics, Planning, Communications, Electronics & Information, General Affairs, Comptroller, Inspector General, Political Warfare.
- Air Force Combatant Command (作戰司令部)
-
- Weather Wing (氣象聯隊): Tamsui, Taipei County
- Communications, Air Traffic Control & Information Wing (通信航管資訊聯隊): Taipei City
- Air Tactical Control Wing (戰術管制聯隊)
- Air Defense Artillery & Garrison Command (防砲警衛司令部)
- Education, Training & Doctrine Command (教育訓練暨準則發展司令部)
- Logistics Command (後勤司令部)
- Combat Wings (作戰聯隊)
-
- 401st Tactical Fighter Wing (401聯隊): Hualien AFB flying F-16A/B
- 17th Fighter Squadron "Thor"
- 26th Fighter Squadron "Witch"
- 27th Fighter Squadron "Black Dragon"
- 427th Tactical Fighter Wing (427聯隊): Ching Chuan Kang AFB flying F-CK-1A/B
- 7th Fighter Squadron "Wolf"
- 8th Fighter Squadron "Flying Dragon"
- 28th Fighter Squadron "Baby Dragon"
- 439th Combined Wing (439聯隊): Pingtung AFB flying C-130H,: E-2T, and C-130HE
- 10th Tactical Airlift Group
- 101st Airlift Squadron
- 102st Airlift Squadron
- 20th Electronic Warfare Group
- 6th Electronic Warfare Squadron
- 2nd Early Warning Squadron
- 10th Tactical Airlift Group
- 443rd Tactical Fighter Wing (443聯隊): Tainan Air Force Base flying F-CK-1A/B
- 1st Fighter Squadron
- 3rd Fighter Squadron
- 9th Fighter Squadron
- 455th Tactical Fighter Wing (455聯隊): Chiayi AFB flying F-16A/B and S-70C
- Air Rescue Group
- 21st Fighter Squadron
- 22nd Fighter Squadron
- 23rd Fighter Squadron
- 499th Tactical Fighter Wing (499聯隊): Hsinchu AFB flying Mirage 2000-5Di/Ei
- 41st Fighter Squadron "Holy Shield"
- 42nd Fighter Squadron "Cobra"
- 48th Fighter Squadron "Holy Eagle"
- 737th Fighter Training Wing (737聯隊): Taitung AFB flying F-5E/F
- 44th Fighter Squadron
- 45th Fighter Squadron
- 46th Fighter Squadron
- 401st Tactical Fighter Wing (401聯隊): Hualien AFB flying F-16A/B
- Air Force Base Command (基地指揮部)
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- Sungshan Base Command (松山基地指揮部)
- Taoyuan Base Command (桃園基地指揮部)
- Air Force Academy (空軍官校): Gangshan AFB
[edit] History
Formally established in 1920 as the Aviation Ministry, the ROCAF was active during the tenure of the ROC on Mainland China. In this period, various airplanes were purchased and deployed by warlords in their struggle for power until nominal Chinese reunification in 1928.
During the Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the ROCAF participated in attacks on Japanese warships on the eastern front and along the Yangtze river including support for the Battle of Shanghai in 1937. The Chinese frontline fighter aircraft initially comprised mainly of the Curtiss Hawk II and III and the Boeing P-26 model 281, and engaged Japanese fighters in many major air battles beginning on the 14th of August 1937, when Imperial Japanese Navy warplanes raided Chienchiao airbase; "814" has thus become known as "Air Force Day". Chinese Boeing P-26/281 fighters engaged Japanese Mitsubishi A5M fighters in what is among the world's first aerial dogfighting between all-metal monoplane fighter aircraft. A unique mission in April 1938 saw two Chinese B-10 bombers fly a mission over Japan, but dropping only propaganda leaflets over the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Saga. It was a war of attrition for the Chinese pilots, as many of their most experienced ace fighter pilots, such as Lieutenant Liu Tsui-Kang and Colonel Kao Chih-Hang were lost.
In the latter-half of the Sino-Japanese War, part of World War II, the ROCAF was augmented by a volunteer group of American pilots (the Flying Tigers) in 1941. Throughout the war the ROCAF was involved in attacks on Japanese air and ground forces in the Chinese theatre.
ROCAF General HQ was established in June 1946. From 1946-1948, during the Chinese Civil War, the ROCAF participated in combat against the People's Liberation Army engaging in air to air combat on at least eleven occasions in the areas surrounding the Taiwan Strait. The ROCAF reportedly enjoyed a 31:1 kill ratio against the PLA. GHQ was evacuated to Taiwan along with the rest of the ROC Government in April 1949 following the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War. The ROCAF assisted in halting the PLA advance at the Battle of Kuningtou on Kinmen the same year.
The ROCAF regularly patrolled the Taiwan Straits and fought many engagements with its Communist counterpart (the PLAAF). The ROCAF received modern equipment from the US at that time, such as the F-86 Sabrejets.
During the Cold War, the ROCAF was involved in combat air patrols over the Taiwan Strait and engaged the PLAAF on several occasions. The ROCAF was also the testbed of American technology at this time. The first successful kill scored by an air-to-air missile was accomplished by an ROCAF F-86 Sabrejet with then experimental AIM-9 Sidewinder. ROCAF pilots also flew U-2 recon overflights of the PRC during this time with assistance from the USAF. Known as the Black Cat Squadron they flew 102 missions, losing 5 planes. All five were shot down by SA-2 surface-to-air missiles, the same type of surface-to-air missile that shot down Gary Powers over the USSR in 1960.
[edit] Equipment and Procurement
The ROCAF's inventory includes over 400 combat aircraft, the mainstay being the F-16 and F-CK-1 IDFs, with the Mirage-2000s being its most formidable air-defence fighter. The older F-5s are gradually being phased out.
The development of the IDF (Indigenous Defense Fighter) was started in 1984 due to the United States refusing to sell the F-16 to the ROCAF. The IDF's maiden flight was made in 1989, and the plane entered service in 1994. The ROCAF was subsequently able to obtain the F-16 from the US and Mirage 2000-5 from France.
The ROCAF's main supplier of equipment is the United States, which also assists in the training of some ROCAF pilots at Luke AFB in Arizona.
In January 2006, the Air Force announced it wanted to buy planes with VSTOL capability, especially the US F-35. It also expressed an interest in upgrading its current F-16s and Mirage 2000-5s, possibly even purchasing second-hand F-15s. However, the US rejected the sale of F-35s or F-15s. There were no media reports as to how France responded.
In mid 2006, the Air Force announced plans to buy 66 F-16 C/D Block 52 aircraft from the US for $3.1 billion USD.[3] On October 2nd 2006, the US said that it would not allow the purchase of the 66 F-16s at that time. According to sources cited by National Defense Minister Lee Jye, the US stance was that until a long-stalled arms purchase package consisting of six Patriot Missile Batteries, 12 P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft and 8 conventional submarines cleared the legislature, it did not see the ROC as having a consistent military procurement plan and temporarily blocked the sale.[4]
The Taiwanese Legislative Yuan approved the 2007 defence budget, which included funds for part of the arms purchases on June 16, 2007.
On February 28th, 2007, the US Defense Department approved an order made by the ROC for 218 AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM missiles, as well as 235 AGM-65G2 Maverick missiles, associated launchers and other equipment. The total value of this order was revealed to be $421 million USD.[5]
In June 2007, the Legislative Yuan approved the upgrade of the existing PAC-2 batteries to PAC-3 standard. In November, the Pentagon notified the US Congress of the Patriot upgrade order.[6]
On August 10th, 2007, a shipment of Harpoon anti-ship missiles was also authorised by the US Defense Department, valued at an estimated $125 million. Included in the package were 60 AGM-84L Block II missiles and 50 upgrade kits to bring the ROCAF's existing Harpoons up to Block II, Mark L standard.[7]
On October 3rd, 2008, arms notifications were sent to Congress concerning, amongst other things, the sale of 330 PAC III missiles, 4 missile batteries, radar sets, ground stations and other equipment valued up to $3.1 billion USD, the upgrade of 4 E-2T aircraft to the Hawkeye 2000 standard and $334 million USD worth of spare parts for the ROCAF's F-16s, IDFs and C-130s.[8]
[edit] Aircraft Inventory
| Aircraft | Origin | Type | Versions | In service[2][9] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fighter Aircraft | ||||||
| Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon |  United States |
Multirole Fighter | F-16 A/B Block 20 | 144 | ||
| Dassault Mirage 2000-5 |  France |
Multirole Fighter | Mirage 2000-5EI/DI | 56 | ||
| AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo |  Taiwan |
Multirole Fighter | F-CK-1A/B | 127 | ||
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II | United States |
Fighter | F-5E/F | 60+ | Built under licence by AIDC | |
| Early Warning Aircraft | ||||||
| Grumman E-2 Hawkeye | United States |
Airborne Early Warning | E-2T
E-2K |
4
2 |
K variant upgrading to Hawkeye 2000 | |
| Trainer Aircraft | ||||||
| AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung | Taiwan |
Trainer | AT-3A/B | 36/17 | ||
| Beechcraft T-34 Mentor | United States |
Trainer | US-1A | 41 | ||
| Transport Aircraft | ||||||
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules | United States |
Tactical Transport
ELINT |
C-130H
C-130HE |
19
1 |
Modified in Taiwan[10] |
|
| Beechcraft 1900C | United States |
VIP Transport | B-1900C | 11 | ||
| Fokker F50 |  Netherlands |
VIP Transport | F50 | 3 | ||
| Boeing 737 | United States |
VIP Transport | B737-800 | 1 | Air Force One | |
| Helicopters | ||||||
| Sikorsky S-70C Blue Hawk | United States |
Search and Rescue | S-70C-1/1A/6 | 15 | ||
[edit] Missile inventory
| Missile | Origin | Type | Versions | In service | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air-to-air missiles | ||||||
| AIM-120 AMRAAM | United States |
Medium-range | AIM-120C-5
AIM-120C-7 |
120
218 |
Ordered |
|
| AIM-7 Sparrow | United States |
Medium-range | 600 | |||
| MBDA MICA | France |
Medium-range | 960 | |||
| Sky Sword II | Taiwan |
Medium-range | 250 | |||
| AIM-9 Sidewinder | United States |
Short-range | Various | 1082+ | ||
| R550 Magic | France |
Short-range | 480 | |||
| Sky Sword I | Taiwan |
Short-range | 300 | |||
| Air-to-ground missiles | ||||||
| AGM-65 Maverick | United States |
Air-to-ground | AGM-65B
AGM-65G AGM-65G2 |
500
40 234 |
Ordered |
|
| Anti-ship missiles | ||||||
| AGM-84 Harpoon | United States |
Anti-ship | AGM-84L | 110 | 60 + 50 upgrade kits ordered | |
[edit] Air Defence Systems
| Platform | Origin | Type | In service | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAC-2 batteries with 200 GEM missiles | United States |
SAM | 3 | Upgrading to PAC-3 batteries |
| PAC-3 batteries with 330 PAC-3 missiles | United States |
SAM | 4 | Ordered |
| Sky Bow I/Sky Bow II/Sky Bow III batteries | Taiwan |
SAM | 6 | Sky Bow I missiles phased out by 2015; Sky Bow III missiles to be introduced |
| MIM-23 HAWK launchers | United States |
SAM | 20 | Replaced by 12 Sky Bow II batteries from 2010 |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "ROC Air Force". Globalsecurity.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/taiwan/rocaf.htm. Retrieved on 2006-03-05.
- ^ a b "2004 National Defense Report" (PDF). ROC Ministry of National Defense. 2004. http://report.mnd.gov.tw/eng/pdf/all-1-360.pdf. Retrieved on 2006-03-05. See Part III, Ch. 7-III: "Air Force"
- ^ "US official confirms that Taipei requested fighters". Taipei Times. 2006-07-29. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/07/29/2003320879. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Defense ministry says Bush is blocking F-16 sales". Taipei Times. 2006-10-03. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2006/10/03/2003330198. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
- ^ "US missile deal to boost Taiwan defense". The Standard. 2007-03-02. http://hk-imail.singtao.com/news_detail.asp?we_cat=3&art_id=39235&sid=12463599&con_type=1&d_str=20070302. Retrieved on 2007-07-08.
- ^ "Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States - PATRIOT Configuration 2 Ground Systems Upgrade" (PDF). Defense News. 2007-11-09. http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2007/Tecro_08-10.pdf. Retrieved on 2007-11-13.
- ^ "US Congress notified of possible sale of missiles". Taipei Times. 2007-08-10. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/08/10/2003373497. Retrieved on 2007-08-21.
- ^ "Taiwan supporters laud weapons sale". Taipei Times. 2008. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2008/10/05/2003425092. Retrieved on 2009-06-20.
- ^ "Equipment - ROC Air Force". Globalsecurity.org. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/taiwan/airforce.htm. Retrieved on 2006-03-05.
- ^ "Lockheed Martin/CSIST C-130HE". TaiwanAirPower.org. http://www.taiwanairpower.org/af/c130he.html. Retrieved on 2007-05-23.
[edit] External links
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