Republic of China Air Force - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation

Aviation

Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...

branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

. Priorities of the ROCAF include the development of long range reconnaissance and surveillance networks, integrating C4ISTAR

C4ISTAR

In military usage, a number of abbreviations in the format C followed by additional letters are used, based on expanded versions of the abbreviation C2 - command and control.C2I stands for command, control, and intelligence....

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. As of 2006, all medium and long range SAM units were transferred from ROC Army's Missile Command to ROCAF, while ROCAF's airbase security units were transferred to ROC Army Military Police. But it's revealed in January 2011, 5 years long problems of integrating those long range ex-ROC Army SAM units into ROCAF has forced ROCAF high command decided to return those units back to ROC Army's Missile Command.

In July 2010, former United States Air Force deputy under secretary for international affairs, Bruce Lemkin said that Taiwan's ability to defend its airspace had degraded due to its aging fighters and that the sale of new fighter aircraft to Taiwan was an urgent priority. On 21 September 2011, it was announced that the US had agreed to a US$ 5 billion upgrade to the F16s.

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

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

. Like the USAF, the ROCAF used to have a wing → group → squadron structure. After November 2004, tactical fighter wing switch to wing → Tactical Fighter Group, with some fighter squadron stood down, with each tactical fighter group, still pretty much the same size as squadron, now commanded by a full Colonel.

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, New Taipei City
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 Command (防空砲兵指揮部)
4 Air Defense Missile & Artillery brigades, 951st (Taipei), 952nd (Taichung), 953rd (Kaoshung), 954th (Hualien)

4 Air Defense Missile I-HAWK battalions, 621st, 622nd, 662nd, and 664th battalions, with 12 Phase III and 7 Phase I batteries.
1 TK-1/2 Air Defense Missile battalion, with 6 companies/batteries.
1 Patriot PAC-2+ GEM/PAC-3 Air Defense/Anti-Ballistic Missile battalion, with 3 mixed companies/batteries that are all upgrading to PAC-3 standard, with 7 more PAC 3 companies/batteries on order.
1 Skyguard Short Range Airbase Air Defense battalion, with 6 companies/batteries and 24 radar sub units.
2 Antelope Short Range Airbase Air Defense battalions, with unknown companies/batteries.
At least 2 AAA Air Defense Artillery battalions, with 40mm/L60 and 12.7mm AAA guns.

Air Defense Artillery Training Center (國軍防空砲兵訓練中心): Pingtung
- Target Service Squadron
- Education Service Support Company
- First training company
- Second training company
- Third training company
  - 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 AB flying F-16A/B
- 17th Tactical Fighter Group "Thor"
- 26th Tactical Fighter Group "Witch"
- 27th Tactical Fighter Group "Black Dragon"
- 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron "Tiger Gazer" (operates both RF-16A/B and 6 RF-5E)
427th Tactical Fighter Wing (427聯隊): Ching Chuan Kang/CCK AB flying F-CK-1A/B
- 7th Tactical Fighter Group "Wolf"
- Stood down: 8th Fighter Squadron "Flying Dragon"
- 28th Tactical Fighter Group "Baby Dragon"
439th Combined Wing (439聯隊): Pingtung
Pingtung Airport
Pingtung Airport are two airports in Pingtung, Taiwan . The two airports are under the control of the Civil Aeronautics AdministrationPingtung Airport was established on November 28, 1994 at the old art exhibition hall at the Pingtung Culture Centre...

AB flying C-130H,: E-2T/2000, 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
443rd Tactical Fighter Wing (443聯隊): Tainan Air Base flying F-CK-1A/B
- 1st Tactical Fighter Group
- 3rd Tactical Fighter Group
- 9th Tactical Fighter Group
455th Tactical Fighter Wing (455聯隊): Chiayi
Chiayi County
Chiayi County is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. Its historical name in Taiwanese Hokkien derives from Tsirosen in the Formosan languages...

AB flying F-16A/B and S-70C
- Air Rescue Group
- 21st Tactical Fighter Group
- 22nd Tactical Fighter Group
- 23rd Tactical Fighter Group
499th Tactical Fighter Wing (499聯隊): Hsinchu
Hsinchu
Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...

AB flying Mirage 2000-5Di/Ei
- 41st Tactical Fighter Group "Holy Shield"
- 42nd Tactical Fighter Group "Cobra"
- 48th Training Group "Holy Eagle"
737th Fighter Training Wing (737聯隊): Taitung
Taitung City
Taitung City is the county seat of Taitung County, Taiwan. It lies on the southeast coast of Taiwan facing the Pacific Ocean.The city is served by Taitung Airport. Taitung is a gateway to Green Island and Orchid Island, both of which are very popular among Taiwanese tourists.-History:Taitung...

AB flying F-5E/F
- 44th Fighter Squadron
- 45th Fighter Squadron
- 46th Fighter Squadron (believed this unit had stood down around 2004/2005, due to shortage of pilots)
  - Makung Air Base Command : Has one squadron of F-CK-1 from either CCK or Tainan AB on detachment every year from April to October
  - Air Force Base Command (基地指揮部)
Sungshan Base Command (松山基地指揮部)
- VIP Transport Squadron, with Boeing 737(Air Force One), Fokker 50, and B-1900.

Air Force Academy (空軍官校): Kangshan AB

- Basic Training Group, with T-34
- Advance Jet/Fighter Training Group, with AT-3
- Transport Training Group, with several of Sungshan air base's VIP Transport Squadron B-1900s.

Sources:

History

Formally established in 1920 as the Aviation Ministry, the ROCAF was active during the tenure of the ROC on Mainland China

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

. In this period

Warlord era

The Chinese Warlord Era was the period in the history of the Republic of China, from 1916 to 1928, when the country was divided among military cliques, a division that continued until the fall of the Nationalist government in the mainland China regions of Sichuan, Shanxi, Qinghai, Ningxia,...

, various airplanes were purchased and deployed by warlords in their struggle for power until nominal Chinese reunification

Chinese reunification (1928)

Chinese reunification , better known in Chinese history as the Northeast Flag Replacement , is a historical term that refers to Zhang Xueliang's announcement on December 29, 1928 on replacing all banners of the Beiyang Government in Manchuria to the flag of the Nationalist Government, thus...

in 1928. In February 1932, US Reserve Lt. Robert McCawley Short, who was transporting armed Chinese aircraft, shot down an IJN aircraft on February 19, 1932 and downed another on February 22 before he was killed (he was posthumously raised to the rank of Colonel in the Chinese Air Service).

During the Second Sino-Japanese War

Second Sino-Japanese War

The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...

(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

Battle of Shanghai

The Battle of Shanghai, known in Chinese as Battle of Songhu, was the first of the twenty-two major engagements fought between the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China and the Imperial Japanese Army of the Empire of Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War...

in 1937. The Chinese frontline fighter aircraft initially were mainly the Curtiss Hawk II and III and the Boeing P-26 model 281, and engaged Japanese fighters in many major air battles beginning on August 14, 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

Martin B-10

The Martin B-10 was the first all-metal monoplane bomber to go into regular use by the United States Army Air Corps, entering service in June 1934...

bombers fly a mission over Japan, but dropping only propaganda leaflets over the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Saga

Saga Prefecture

is located in the northwest part of the island of Kyūshū, Japan. It touches both the Sea of Japan and the Ariake Sea. The western part of the prefecture is a region famous for producing ceramics and porcelain, particularly the towns of Karatsu, Imari, and Arita...

. 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 early in the war.

In the latter-half of the Sino-Japanese War, part of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the ROCAF was augmented by a volunteer group of American pilots (the Flying Tigers

Flying Tigers

The 1st American Volunteer Group of the Chinese Air Force in 1941–1942, famously nicknamed the Flying Tigers, was composed of pilots from the United States Army , Navy , and Marine Corps , recruited under presidential sanction and commanded by Claire Lee Chennault. The ground crew and headquarters...

) 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 to 1948, during the Chinese Civil War

Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...

, the ROCAF participated in combat against the People's Liberation Army

People's Liberation Army

The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...

engaging in air to air combat on at least eleven occasions in the areas surrounding the Taiwan Strait

Taiwan Strait

The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...

. 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

Battle of Kuningtou

The Battle of Guningtou , also known as the Battle of Jinmen , was a battle fought over Kinmen in the Taiwan Strait during the Chinese Civil War in 1949...

on Kinmen

Kinmen

Kinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...

the same year.

The ROCAF regularly patrolled the Taiwan Straits and fought many engagements with its Communist counterpart (the PLAAF). The ROCAF received second hand equipment from the US at that time, such as the F-86 Sabrejets, F-100 and F-104.

During the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

, the ROCAF was involved in combat air patrols over the Taiwan Strait and engaged the PLAAF

People's Liberation Army Air Force

The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China...

and PLAN-AF 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

AIM-9 Sidewinder

The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...

. ROCAF pilots also flew U-2

Lockheed U-2

The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...

recon overflights of the PRC during this time with assistance from the USAF. Known as the Black Cat Squadron

Black Cat Squadron

The Black Cat Squadron was a squadron of the Republic of China Air Force that flew the U-2 surveillance plane out of Taoyuan Airbase in northern Taiwan, from 1961 to 1974. The formal designation of the squadron was the 35th Squadron, operating under the cover of a high altitude weather research...

they flew total of 220 mission, with 102 missions over mainland China, 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

Gary Powers

Francis Gary Powers was an American pilot whose Central Intelligence Agency U-2 spy plane was shot down while flying a reconnaissance mission over Soviet Union airspace, causing the 1960 U-2 incident.- Early life :...

over the USSR in 1960. The 34th "Black Bat Squadron

Black Bat Squadron

Black Bats 34th Squadron was the name of a corps of CIA reconnaissance plane pilots and crew based in Taiwan during the Cold War. Citizens of the Republic of China, they flew missions over mainland China, or the People's Republic of China , to drop agents and gathered military signal intelligences...

" flew low level mission into China as part of its mapping PRC growing air defense networks, conducting ESM and ECM missions, inserting agents behind enemy line, and air drop resupply missions.

Equipment and Procurement

The ROCAF's inventory includes over 400 combat aircraft, the mainstay being the F-16

F-16 Fighting Falcon

The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...

and F-CK-1 Ching-kuo, 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

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, which also assists in the training of some ROCAF pilots at Luke AFB

Luke Air Force Base

Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....

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 Mirages, possibly even purchasing second-hand F-15

F-15 Eagle

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed by McDonnell Douglas to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It is considered among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 aerial combat victories with no losses in dogfights...

s. However, the US rejected the sale of F-35s or F-15s. There were no media reports as to how France responded. A Pentagon

Pentagon

In geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. A pentagon may be simple or self-intersecting. The sum of the internal angles in a simple pentagon is 540°. A pentagram is an example of a self-intersecting pentagon.- Regular pentagons :In a regular pentagon, all sides are equal in length and...

report has said that given that the PRC would probably seek to destroy Taiwan's airfields in the first stages of any attack, the F-35B STOVL fighter would be vital for Taiwan's defense.

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. On October 2, 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.

The Taiwanese Legislative Yuan

Legislative Yuan

The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China .The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People...

approved the 2007 defence budget, which included funds for part of the arms purchases on June 16, 2007.

On February 28, 2007, the US Defense Department

United States Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...

approved an order made by the ROC for 218 AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM missiles

AIM-120 AMRAAM

The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM , is a modern beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile capable of all-weather day-and-night operations. Designed with the same form-factor as the previous generation of semi-active guided Sparrow missiles, it is a fire-and-forget...

, as well as 235 AGM-65G2 Maverick missiles

AGM-65 Maverick

The AGM-65 Maverick is an air-to-ground tactical missile designed for close-air support. It is effective against a wide range of tactical targets, including armor, air defenses, ships, ground transportation and fuel storage facilities....

, associated launchers and other equipment. The total value of this order was revealed to be $421 million USD.

In June 2007, the Legislative Yuan

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.

On August 10, 2007, a shipment of Harpoon anti-ship missiles

Boeing Harpoon

The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas . In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977...

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.

On October 3, 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, F-5E/Fs and C-130s.

On January 28, 2010, ROCAF received first batch of new TC-2(V) BVR missiles ordered from CSIST. Believed to have new radar seeker and improved performance from the original missile entered service over 10 years ago.

On January 29, 2010, US government announced 5 notifications to US Congress for arms sales to Taiwan. Overall total 6.392 Billion USD, ROC Air Force will receive 3 PAC-3 batteries with 26 launchers and 114 PAC-3 missiles for 2.81 Billion.

On February 3, 2010, it was announced at Singapore Airshow that ROCAF had signed contract for 3 EC-225 SAR(Search-And-Rescue) helicopters that was award to Eurocopter back in December 2009 for 111 million USD, with option for 17 more EC-225 helicopter. Expect delivery of 3 EC-225 by October 2011.On November 26, 2011, the 3 EC-225 C-SAR helicopters were loaded on board a An-124 cargo plane and delivered to Chai-yi AB in Taiwan, and should press into service in July 1, 2012.

On August 15, 2011, it was reported that the US had once again deferred Taiwan's request to purchase 66 new F-16C/Ds but had offered a retrofit package for Taiwan's older F-16A/B's. A $5.3 billion upgrade package for ROCAF's existing F-16A/B fighters was announced on 21 September 2011. The upgrade budget was to be spread over 12 years, though the Ministry of Defense indicated that it would try to reduce the period. In November 2011, the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission

United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission

The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission is a congressional commission of the United States government. Created through a congressional mandate in October 2000, it is responsible for monitoring and investigating national security and trade issues between the United States and...

recommended that new fighters be sold to the RoC.

On August 31, 2010, it was announced for next year's defense budget, ROCAF's "Medium Transport aircraft" plan to replace 12 B-1900 VIP/transport training aircraft, believed to be 6-8+ Lockheed C-27J, has been put on hold and might be axed, due to lack of budget. But will allocates 20+ million US dollars over next 4 years for quick runway repair. Other items mentioned including increases runways from 3 to 6 at Eastern Taiwan's 3 airbases, moving 2 I-HAWK batteries to Eastern Taiwan to protect those airbases, which will double to 4 batteries, and others.

On November 8, 2011, second pair of E-2T Hawkeye AEW(s/n 2501 and 2502) were loaded on ship and sent to US for upgrade to E-2C 2000. The first pair of E-2T (s/n 2503 and 2504) were sent to US in June 2010 and will return to Taiwan by end of the year.

Aircraft Inventory

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Aircraft
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Versions
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Fighter Aircraft

Fighter aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...

|-----
| Lockheed F-16 Fighting Falcon

F-16 Fighting Falcon

|| || Multirole Fighter || F-16 A/B Block 20 || 145 || 120 F-16A and 30 F-16B received. About 8-10 F-16A/B Block 20 is at Luke AFB, USA, for advance training. 8 F-16A/B are assigned to 12th TRS as recon aircraft with yet unknown recon pod.
|-----
| Dassault Mirage 2000-5 || || Multirole Fighter || Mirage 2000-5EI/DI || 56 || 48 Mirage 2000Ei and 12 Mirage 2000Di received
|-----
| AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo || || Multirole Fighter || F-CK-1A/B || 126 || 131 F-CK-1 IDF received. At least 1 wing expected start the upgrade to F-CK-1C/D standard by end of 2008 (First batch F-CK-1 A/B MLU delivered at 2011/06/30)
|-----
| Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II || || Fighter || F-5E/F || 32/32 || 28 F-5E/F transferred from US from 1973 to May 1975, and 308 F-5E/F built locally under license by AIDC from 1973 to 1986. 32 F-5E/RF-5E, 33 F-5F two seaters. Besides the limited number of F-5E/F in service, another ~90 to 100 in reserve status.
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Early Warning Aircraft
|-----
| Grumman E-2 Hawkeye

E-2 Hawkeye

The Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, aircraft carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning aircraft. This twin-turboprop aircraft was designed and developed during the late 1950s and early 1960s by the Grumman Aircraft Company for the United States Navy as a replacement for the...

|| || Airborne Early Warning || E-2T

E-2C Hawkeye 2000 || 4

2 || 4 E-2T authorized upgraded to Hawkeye 2000 standard on 10/2008. 2 E-2T(s/n 2503 and 2504) sent to US on June 23, 2010 for the planned upgrade, should return to Taiwan service by end of 2011.2nd pair(s/n 2501 and 2502) were sent on November 8, 2011. #2503 crashed landed during touch-and-go practice without landing gears deployed on 03/20/97. Damages were very extensive that another E-2C body was used to rebuilt by Singapore Aerospace, but still sporting #2503's b/n.
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Reconnaissance Aircraft

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

|-----
| Northrop RF-5E Tigergazer || || Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance

Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

|| RF-5E|| 5 || 7 low airframe hours F-5E sent to Singapore Aerospace and converted to RF-5E Tigergazer.
|-----
| Lockheed RF-16 Fighting Falcon

F-16 Fighting Falcon

|| || Multirole Fighter/Reconnaissance || F-16 A/B Block 20 || 8 || 8 F-16A/B are assigned to 12th TRS as recon aircraft with yet unknown recon pod.
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Trainer Aircraft
|-----
| AIDC AT-3 Tzu Chung || || Advance Trainer || AT-3A/B || 36/17 || Also 2 A-3 attack version were built, 901 and 902, retired and on display.
|-----
| Beechcraft T-34 Mentor

T-34 Mentor

The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engined, military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza. The earlier versions of the T-34, dating from around the late 1940s to the 1950s, were piston-engined. These were eventually succeeded by the upgraded T-34C...

|| || Basic Trainer || US-1A || 36 ||
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Transport Aircraft

Military transport aircraft

Military transport aircraft are typically fixed and rotary wing cargo aircraft which are used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the surface of the planet, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in...

|-----
| Lockheed C-130 Hercules

C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...

|| || Tactical Transport

ELINT || C-130H

C-130HE || 19

1 || 20 received. #1310 lost on 10-10-1997. Last 8 C-130H received in 1990s believed to be C-130H-30 version.

Modified in Taiwan
|-----
| Beechcraft 1900C

Beechcraft 1900

The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop airplane manufactured by the Beechcraft Division of the Raytheon Company . It was designed, and is primarily used, as a regional airliner...

|| || VIP Transport|| B-1900C || 11 || 12 received. 2 are use for airbase radar calibration. Several B-1900 also fly down to Kangshan AB daily for Air Force Academy transport training needs.
|-----
| Fokker F50 || || VIP Transport || F50 || 3 ||
|-----
| Boeing 737

Boeing 737

The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...

|| || VIP Transport || B737-800 || 1 || Air Force One
|-----
! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Helicopters
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| Sikorsky S-70C Blue Hawk

Sikorsky S-70

The Sikorsky S-70 is a medium transport/utility helicopter family manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft. It was developed for the U.S. Army in the 1970s, winning a competition to be designated the UH-60 Blackhawk and spawning a large family in U.S. military service...

|| || Search and Rescue || S-70C-1/1A/6 || 17 || 10 S-70C-1, 3 S-70C1A, 4 S-70C-6
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| Eurocopter EC-225 Super Puma || || Search and Rescue || EC-225 || 0+3+17 || 3 ordered on Feb 2010, with option for 17 more. Delivered Nov 26, 2011. Enter service expected July 1, 2012.

Missile inventory

AIM-120 AMRAAM

|| || Medium-range Active Radar|| AIM-120C-5

AIM-120C-7 || 120

218 || 200 authorized for sales by US back in 2000, but only 120 ordered.

Ordered. For F-16 fleet
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| AIM-7 Sparrow

AIM-7 Sparrow

The AIM-7 Sparrow is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual...

|| || Medium-range Semi-Active Radar|| AIM-7M || 605 || 600 in 1992 F-16 deal, 5 in 2006 for Shootex in Luke AFB. For F-16 Fleet
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| MBDA MICA

MBDA MICA

The MBDA MICA is an anti-air multi-target, all weather, fire-and-forget short and medium-range missile system. It is intended for use both by air platforms as individual missiles as well as ground units and ships, which can be equipped with the rapid fire MICA Vertical Launch System...

|| || Medium-range Active Radar|| || 960 || For Mirage 2000-5 fleet
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| Sky Sword II

Sky Sword II

The TC-2 Sky Sword II is a radar guided air-to-air missile developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan Republic of China during the 1990s for the ROC Air Force...

|| || Medium-range Active Radar|| TC-2 || 250+ || For IDF fleet. ROCAF received new batch of new model of TC-2, ordered from CSIST, number unknown.
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| AIM-9 Sidewinder

AIM-9 Sidewinder

|| || Short-range IR Guided|| AIM-9B

AIM-9J/N

AIM-9M

AIM-9M-2 || 570

2066

900

192 || AIM-9B: 350 in 1955, 220 in 1959.(Believe all AIM-9B missiles were rebuilt to AIM-9E, then rebuilt again to AIM-9J/N (current status unknown)

AIM-9J/N: 1850 in 1974, 216 in 1983.(At least 1314 AIM-9J/N missiles were rebuilt/upgraded to AIM-9P4 standard.)For IDF, F-5E/F and AT-3 fleet.

AIM-9M: 900 in 1997. For F-16 Fleet

AIM-9M-2: 182 in 2003, 10 in 2006. Total 3728 AIM-9 missiles received.
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| Magic II

R550 Magic

The R.550 Magic is a short-range missile designed in 1968 by French company Matra to compete with the American AIM-9 Sidewinder. On 11 January 1972, a Gloster Meteor of the centre for in-flight trials fired the R550 Magic and shot down a Nord CT20 target drone .Mass-produced from 1976, the Magic...

|| || Short-range IR Guided|| R550 || 480 || For Mirage 2000-5 fleet.
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| Sky Sword I

Sky Sword I

The TC-1 Sky Sword I is a short range infrared guided air-to-air missile developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology in Taiwan ROC, for the ROC Air Force. The missile was developed in the mid to late 1980s and is presently deployed on the ROCAF's F-CK IDF fighters...

|| || Short-range IR Guided|| TC-1 || 300 || For IDF Fleet.
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! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Air-to-ground missiles

Air-to-surface missile

An air-to-surface missile is a missile designed to be launched from military aircraft and strike ground targets on land, at sea, or both...

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| AGM-65 Maverick || || Air-to-ground|| AGM-65B

AGM-65G

AGM-65G2 || 500

234 || For F-5E/F and F-16 fleet.

For F-16 fleet.

Ordered. For F-16 fleet.
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! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Anti-ship missiles
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| AGM-84 Harpoon || || Anti-ship|| AGM-84L || 110 || 60 + 50 upgrade kits ordered, for F-16 fleet.
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| AGM-84 Harpoon || || Anti-ship|| AGM-84G || 8 || 58 ordered, 50 later upgraded to AGM-84L version

Air Defence Systems

! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Platform
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|In service
! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
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| PAC-2 batteries with 200 GEM missiles || || SAM

Surface-to-air missile