_Taiwan
18-03-2005, 09:04
Latest News:
****The ROCN has announced the completion of the ROCN Unity. One of the first of two heavily armoured and low-observability arsenal ships with missile capacities in the mid 400s to enter ROCN service in accordance with the Navy's emphasis on cost-effectiveness and the recent doctrince adjustments. The second ship, the Peacemaker, is expected to be completed within a year. Both ships will cost a total of around $2.2 billion (US-equivalent). However, maintenance costs are very low for a ship of it's size due to drastically decreased manpower requirements. No information is released about the existence of the "Indigenous Cruise Missile" programme.
The ROCN continues with it's programme of scrapping small and obselete ships, replacing them with larger and more modern ones. Four Kidd class destroyers were sold to a private developer who intends to convert the four Kidd class destroyers for civilian use. The sum recieved was some $600m. They will be replaced by an equal number Alinghi class Cruisers primarily designed for an air defence role.
****After flight trials that meet ROCAF requirements, the J-14 developed by The Aero Industry Development Center (AIDC) under a joint venture with the Sinoese SCAC will enter service in the ROCAF, replacing the air force's F-16A/B models and the later Mirage 2000 fighters. Approxiamtely 220 will be procured at $65m each and renamed the IDF-2. It will provide Taiwan with an aircraft equivalent in many aspects to the F-22 and even superior performance is some areas. An AIDC only effort will be made to design a fighter bomber based on the same airframe, designated the IDF-3. About 60 IDF-3s are expected to be procured, giving the ROCAF long range strike capability at last.
The ROCAF will announce the conclusion of the TC (SkySword) improvement programme at the end of the month.
(OOC: Of course, it's only $65 million because of the size of the order with two national air forces [and one of the largest in the world at that] adopting it.)
****The ROCN has announced the completion of the ROCN Unity. One of the first of two heavily armoured and low-observability arsenal ships with missile capacities in the mid 400s to enter ROCN service in accordance with the Navy's emphasis on cost-effectiveness and the recent doctrince adjustments. The second ship, the Peacemaker, is expected to be completed within a year. Both ships will cost a total of around $2.2 billion (US-equivalent). However, maintenance costs are very low for a ship of it's size due to drastically decreased manpower requirements. No information is released about the existence of the "Indigenous Cruise Missile" programme.
The ROCN continues with it's programme of scrapping small and obselete ships, replacing them with larger and more modern ones. Four Kidd class destroyers were sold to a private developer who intends to convert the four Kidd class destroyers for civilian use. The sum recieved was some $600m. They will be replaced by an equal number Alinghi class Cruisers primarily designed for an air defence role.
****After flight trials that meet ROCAF requirements, the J-14 developed by The Aero Industry Development Center (AIDC) under a joint venture with the Sinoese SCAC will enter service in the ROCAF, replacing the air force's F-16A/B models and the later Mirage 2000 fighters. Approxiamtely 220 will be procured at $65m each and renamed the IDF-2. It will provide Taiwan with an aircraft equivalent in many aspects to the F-22 and even superior performance is some areas. An AIDC only effort will be made to design a fighter bomber based on the same airframe, designated the IDF-3. About 60 IDF-3s are expected to be procured, giving the ROCAF long range strike capability at last.
The ROCAF will announce the conclusion of the TC (SkySword) improvement programme at the end of the month.
(OOC: Of course, it's only $65 million because of the size of the order with two national air forces [and one of the largest in the world at that] adopting it.)