loading…
12 F-16V fighter jets take part in the annual New Year’s drills in Chiayi, Taiwan, January 5, 2022. Photo/REUTERS/Ann Wang
TAIPEI – There are a number of Taiwan’s military weapons which are a mainstay in facing threats from other countries, including China.
Of the many weapons of its mainstay, some of them were purchased from its allies, namely the United States. Apart from having a history of tension with China, the two countries are also known to have quite close relations.
Therefore, it is not surprising that quite a lot of Taiwan’s weapons were obtained from the US. Here are some of them that are always a mainstay.
List of Taiwan Mainstay Military Weapons
1. Jet Tempur F-16
The F-16 fighter jet is one of the weapons made in the United States which is Taiwan’s mainstay. Quoting the EurAsian Times page, some time ago it was reported that they had also ordered the latest version of the F-16 Viper which had undergone many improvements.
This was done to counter China’s fighter aircraft, including the J-20 to J-16 stealth aircraft. In addition to the Viper variant, Taiwan also has a previously purchased version of the F-16 A/B.
2. Kapal Kee Lung
The destroyer Kee Lung is one of Taiwan’s operational fleets. Quoting the Naval Technology page, this ship was originally a Kidd-class destroyer that the US Navy had decommissioned in the late 1990s.
The sale of the destroyers to Taiwan was authorized by the US government in 2001. Under the Kuang Hua VII program, about 4 of the destroyers were transferred to the Taiwan Navy and entered service in 2006.
