Taiwan unveils upgraded version of domestically produced warplane

Jun 30, 2011, 8:35 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan on Thursday unveiled an upgraded version of its domestically produced warplane, amid stalled talks to buy US-made aircraft.

President Ma Ying-jeou attended the launch ceremony at the Aerospace Industrial Development Corp in Taichung, central Taiwan, and sat in the pilot's cockpit of the upgraded Indigenous Defence Fighter jet on display.

'When we developed the Indigenous Defence Fighter jet (in the 1980s), some people called it I Don't Fly, but now IDF stands for I Do Fly, I Do Fly Well and I Don't Fail,' he said.

Ma also instructed the AIDC to consider developing a new generation of trainer jets for the Taiwan Air Force, saying the country needed to boost self-defence despite improving relatinos with Beijing.

Taiwan is to spend 17 billion Taiwan dollars (586 million US dollars) on upgrading 71 of the 130 IDFs in the air force. So far it has modified only six jets.

The Taiwan Air Force fleet consists of 130 IDFs, 150 US-made F16A/Bs and 60 French-made Mirage 2000-5s.

Taipei decided to upgrade its IDFs after talks to purchase the more advanced F16C/Ds from the United States stalled. The US supply of arms to Taiwan has raised tensions with Beijing, which considers the island a breakaway province.