Tag: air power

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Past Events

May 11, 2010 – The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait: Report Release & Panel Discussion

Event:
The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait
Report Release & Panel Discussion

May 11, 2010
10:30am – 12:30pm

Report Cover: The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait
Report Cover: The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait

In a report dated January 21, 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) submitted to Congress an assessment of the current state of Taiwan’s air defense forces, their ability to defend Taiwan’s air space, and possible measures that Taiwan could undertake to strengthen its air defense. The DoD analysis was written under guidelines laid out in the National Defense Authorization Act 2010. However, the bulk of the DoD analysis on this matter is classified.

The US-Taiwan Business Council has produced its own independent analysis report – entitled “The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait” – to examine these questions and to provide a detailed public assessment of the issues. This event and seminar will allow for an open and active discussion of the report and its contents.

Moderator:

Rupert Hammond-Chambers, President, US-Taiwan Business Council

Speakers:

Fu Mei, Director, Taiwan Security Analysis Center
Richard Fisher, Senior Fellow, Asian Military Affairs, International Assessment & Strategy Center

Location:

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center, Room SVC 203/202
Washington, D.C.

Note that the entrance is located on 1st Street NE & East Capitol Street. Please arrive early, allowing for sufficient time to pass through security screening.

Registration:

www.us-taiwan.org
(703) 465-2930

Categories
Press Releases

US-Taiwan Business Council to Release Independent Analysis Report on The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait

On May 11, 2010, at a public seminar on Capitol Hill, the US-Taiwan Business Council will release a report entitled “The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait”. This report provides a detailed examination of Taiwan’s major air defense requirements, and was written to conform to the 2009 Congressional directive instructing the U.S. Department of Defense to prepare an assessment of Taiwan’s current air defense capabilities.

The Council’s report discusses Taiwan’s need to address the burgeoning cross-Strait fighter gap; to undertake a mid-life upgrade of its existing F-16s and Indigenous Defense Fighters; to invest further in modernizing its ground-based air defenses; to continue the force-multiplier effect of investments in modern, balanced and integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities; and to increase investments in Electronic Warfare and Information Warfare.

This analysis report also examines the potential impact on U.S. forces if Taiwan can not defend its own airspace. The Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) notes that the U.S. is required, “to maintain the capacity of the United States to resist any resort to force.” Should the U.S. decide not to provide Taiwan with the equipment it needs, it would lead to a degrading of Taiwan’s military strength. Given that American forces in Asia are already stretched thin, the report asks what impact such an outcome would have on American readiness, and questions where the additional forces would come from to fill the gap.

 

US-Taiwan Business Council to Release Independent Analysis Report on “The Balance of Air Power in the Taiwan Strait” (PDF file)