Taiwan Air Defenses
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Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, on February 23, 2011, the RAND Corporation released a report funded by and prepared for the U.S. Air Force entitled, ``Shaking the Heavens and Splitting the Earth.'' This report provides a comprehensive review of the capabilities of the Chinese Air Force, and it is alarming. In less than a decade, China has transformed its air force from an antiquated service based on 1950s-era Soviet technology into a modern, highly capable 21st century air force. RAND predicts that, by approximately 2015, the weapon systems and platforms China is acquiring ``would make a Chinese air defense campaign, if conducted according to the principles described in Chinese military publications, highly challenging for U.S. air forces.''
Without question, China's military expansion poses a clear and present danger to our longstanding ally, Taiwan--a threat that also has very serious implications for the United States. In its report, RAND predicts that, should the United States have to intervene in a conflict between Taiwan and China, the United States ``should expect attacks on its forces and facilities in the western Pacific, including those in Japan. ..... Chinese military writings, moreover, emphasize the advantages of preemptive and surprise attacks, so it is possible that Chinese attacks on U.S. forces in the western Pacific would precede a use of force against Taiwan.'' RAND further states that, in the event of a military conflict off of Taiwan, ``even if the United States intervened on a large scale,'' the ``capabilities of Taiwan's armed forces would also be critical to the outcome. ..... Defending Taiwan against air attack is feasible if Taiwan makes systematic, sustained, and carefully chosen investments.''
These military investments by Taiwan are critical, due to the continuing deterioration of its air force. A January 21, 2010, Defense Intelligence Agency, DIA, report on the current condition of Taiwan's Air Force quantified its eroding air capability in stark terms: ``Although Taiwan has nearly 400 combat aircraft in service, far fewer of these are operationally capable. Taiwan's F-5 fighters have reached the end of their operational service life, and while the indigenously produced F-CK-1 A/B Indigenous Defense Fighter, IDF, is a large component of Taiwan's active fighter force, it lacks the capability for sustained sorties. Taiwan's Mirage 2000-5 aircraft are technologically advanced, but they require frequent, expensive maintenance that adversely affects their operational readiness rate.''
Last August, the Department of Defense, DOD, released its 2010 Annual Report to Congress on the Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China. It states: ``Cross-Strait economic and political ties continued to make important progress in 2009. Despite these positive trends, China's military buildup opposite the island [Taiwan] continues unabated. The PLA is developing the capability to deter Taiwan independence or influence Taiwan to settle the dispute on Beijing's terms while simultaneously attempting to deter, delay, or deny any possible U.S. support for the island in case of conflict. The balance of cross-Strait military forces continues to shift in China's favor.'' This report recounts that China has a total of approximately 2,300 operational combat aircraft, including 330 fighters and 160 bombers stationed within range of Taiwan.
These disturbing reports are just the latest warnings that highlight both China's military expansion and Taiwan's increasing need for new defensive weapons. Some have openly questioned whether selling arms to Taiwan is worth the political cost to the U.S.-China bilateral relationship. Surely, we would all prefer to have Taiwanese pilots flying Taiwanese fighter jets as the island's first line of defense, instead of American military pilots. Taiwan understands this, and it wants to remain the primary guarantor of its own freedom and democracy. A strong and robust defensive capability built on an air force capable of holding its own with China will promote a Beijing-Taipei détente that can build on the work President Ma has done to ease tensions and promote better economic ties with China. It remains to be seen how far the Obama administration's support extends to Taiwan and whether this administration will try to strategically counter the military rise of China.
China should never be allowed to dictate U.S. policy, either directly or indirectly. That includes our decision to sell defensive weapons to an important democratic ally. Yet there is evidence that this administration is already bowing to Chinese pressure. According to a February 7, 2010, report by Defense News, China's extensive holdings of U.S. Government securities are already directly influencing U.S. national security policy. This article reports that, according to an unnamed Pentagon official, Obama administration officials softened a draft of a key national security document in order to avoid ``harsh words'' that ``might upset Chinese officials at a time when the United States and China are economically intertwined.'' The article indicates that Pentagon officials ``deleted several passages and softened others about China's military buildup.'' This critical document, the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, QDR, is intended to provide an assessment of long-term threats and challenges for the Nation and to guide military programs, plans, and budgets in the coming decades.
Although the QDR was watered down by administration officials, other reports effectively highlight the disparity between China's diplomatic rhetoric and its true intentions, as demonstrated by its rapid and robust military modernization effort. According to the DOD's 2010 report on China, ``The pace and scope of China's military modernization have increased over the past decade,'' increasing ``China's options for using military force to gain diplomatic advantage or resolve disputes in its favor.'' The DOD's report highlights to China's military modernization has been focused on ``improving its capacity for force projection and anti-access/area-denial.'' These modernization efforts are heavily focused on offensive capabilities, including the development of an antiship ballistic missile with a range in excess of 1,500 km that is ``intended to provide the PLA the capability to attack ships, including aircraft carriers, in the western Pacific Ocean,'' as well as an active aircraft carrier research and development program. Moreover, PLA Air Force, PLAAF, Commander General Xu Giliang has emphasized the transformation of the PLAAF ``from a homeland defense focus to one that `integrates air and space,' and that possesses both `offensive and defensive' capabilities.''
It is because of China's military rise and the troubling shift in the cross-Strait balance in China's favor that Taiwan recognizes its need to modernize its air force. As a result, Taiwan has made repeated requests to purchase new F-16 C/D aircraft from the United States since 2006. Taiwan desperately needs these F-16s--a ``carefully chosen investment''--which are comparable to China's own domestically-developed J-10 fighter aircraft.
Yet despite a compelling argument, Taiwanese President Ma's requests to the United States to purchase these aircraft continue to be snubbed. In an interview with the Washington Post, President Ma said, ``Our objective in improving cross-strait relations is to seek peace and prosperity. However, the Republic of China (Taiwan) is a sovereign state; we must have our national defense. While we negotiate with the mainland, we hope to carry out such talks with sufficient self defense capabilities and not negotiate out of fear. This is an extremely important principle. Therefore, we must purchase the necessary defensive weapons from overseas that cannot be manufactured here in Taiwan to replace outdated ones. This is essential for our national survival and development.''
Moreover, the United States has a statutory obligation under the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979 to provide Taiwan the defense articles and services necessary to enable Taiwan to maintain sufficient self-defense capabilities, in furtherance of maintaining peace and stability in the western Pacific region. Our obligations under the Taiwan Relations Act recognize that the key to maintaining peace and stability in Asia in the face of China's dramatic military expansion is ensuring a militarily strong and confident Taiwan.
To that end, in early 2010, President Obama notified Congress of a $6.4 billion military sale to Taiwan. This was a welcome step, but it remains the only visible step the Obama administration has taken to provide Taiwan the defensive arms it needs, in accordance with our statutory obligations. While the administration dithers on Taiwan's request for F-16s, evidence continues to mount that what Taiwan desperately needs to restore the cross-Strait balance and regain the ability to defend its own airspace is new fighter aircraft to bolster an air force that is borderline obsolete.
It is my understanding that the administration may favor selling Taiwan upgrade kits for its existing fleet of F-16 A/Bs, instead of selling Taiwan brand new fighters. Such a tradeoff will not enhance the security of Taiwan. What Taiwan's air force needs is new F-16s and the ability to deploy them in sufficient numbers to strengthen its defensive posture. Simply upgrading airframes that are more than 20 years old is not a solution--it is nothing more than a public relations Band-Aid. Efforts to upgrade Taiwan's air fleet have to be coupled with the sale of new aircraft that can serve for two decades or more into the future.
Another important consideration is the shrinking time window for this purchase. The continuing production of new F-16s is dependent on foreign sales. It is my understanding that, if no new overseas orders are secured this year, the thousands of U.S. suppliers who help build the F-16 will begin shuttering that capability. Once this happens, it will be very difficult and expensive to restart the supply chain. Washington has a longstanding habit of putting off difficult decisions, but the decision on whether to sell new F-16s to Taiwan is literally now or never.
As the DIA report made clear, the majority of Taiwan's 400 fighter aircraft need to be retired or upgraded. Within the next 5 years, Taiwan will have to mothball or scrap more than 100 combat aircraft--one-quarter of its current force. Without the ability to augment its air force with new F-16 aircraft, as well as updates to its existing fleet, Taiwan will lose all ability to project a defensive umbrella over the island. The repercussions of a rising and potentially aggressive China, able to dominate the airspace over Taiwan, demands the attention of our military planners, government officials, and Members of Congress because it opens the door for China to use force against Taiwan. To that end, I was proud to recently join with 43 of my Senate colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to act swiftly to provide Taiwan with the F-16s that are critical to preserving Taiwan's self-defense capabilities.
It is time to recommit ourselves to strengthening the ties that bind the U.S. and Taiwan together--from arms sales to free-trade agreements. Doing so will promote peace and stability in the region, while also protecting U.S. and Taiwanese security interests. I urge President Obama and his administration to move quickly and work with Taiwan to notify the sale of these fighter jets to Congress.
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