Taiwan Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

drowingfish

Junior Member
Registered Member
Doesn't appear to be a problem with the airframe. The pilot has been flying F-16V since 2020 but so far has only 60.5 hours on the type, and 320 hours total (including flight school hours). Seems like an issue with inexperience discerning sea from the sky, especially given rumors of heavy fog in the area when the crash occurred.
i thought it was interesting that ROCAF would assign such an inexperienced pilot to a "new" fighter. perhaps it is part of an effort to build a cadre of pilots in anticipation of newly-built F-16Vs due to be delivered in a few years. but is it also a manifestation of ROCAF's manpower shortage? either way, without a doubt he is considered one of the better pilots amongst his peers, to merit into the first batch of F-16V pilots.
 

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
i thought it was interesting that ROCAF would assign such an inexperienced pilot to a "new" fighter. perhaps it is part of an effort to build a cadre of pilots in anticipation of newly-built F-16Vs due to be delivered in a few years. but is it also a manifestation of ROCAF's manpower shortage? either way, without a doubt he is considered one of the better pilots amongst his peers, to merit into the first batch of F-16V pilots.

Since he was featured in an infamous promotional film for ROCAF the last year, this is probably the case.
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I think it'll be smart for ROCAF to focus on improving pilot training instead of acquiring advanced platforms. Their older pilots, especially those who train at Luke Air Force Base, are highly proficient and on par with USAF pilots skill wise. They can either increase the percentage of new pilots who train at Luke or "seed" new pilot corp with the older fellows.
 

supersnoop

Major
Registered Member
Since he was featured in an infamous promotional film for ROCAF the last year, this is probably the case.
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I think it'll be smart for ROCAF to focus on improving pilot training instead of acquiring advanced platforms. Their older pilots, especially those who train at Luke Air Force Base, are highly proficient and on par with USAF pilots skill wise. They can either increase the percentage of new pilots who train at Luke or "seed" new pilot corp with the older fellows.
What do you think their gap is at the moment?
I imagine that ROCAF training standard is patterned after USAF training standard.
I don't imagine we have any statistics like mishaps per flight hour.

One issue that the news was complaining about was the interceptions from PRC was happening too often which was impacting ground crews/maintenance as well as flight crews. I believe it was posted that they would no longer scramble for smaller incursions.

I wouldn't read too much into these percentages. If 70% mainlanders are willing to fight against an American or Japanese invasion, somehow that will increase China's chance of winning? it will only get more people killed. PLA increased its fighting power by cutting personnel.

At this day and age, any talk of a military conflict across the strait with the PLA losing is pretty delusional, with or without US involvement. the only matter is cost. Sure Taipei can find ways to increase PLA's cost. But any additional cost on the PLA, will have a price on Taiwan as well. There is no scenario in a military conflict Taiwan will come out on top. I am a mainlander. But I treat mailanders or Taiwanese exactly the same. The reality is the mainland is big and Taiwan is small. So if the Mainland decide to use military force to solve the Taiwan issue, then Taiwan is screwed, no matter what.

To me, the cross strait issue is purely political, not military. Why? All Beijing/mainland need is a name change. Thus no leader will put lives on the line just to gain a name. And few Taiwanese will actually think changing from ROC Taiwan to PRC, Taiwan will make any meaningful difference and worth dying for.

That is why DPP is brilliant. They don't really talk about independence. Instead they focus on democracy, as if Taiwan becomes part of PRC it will be forced to adopt a different political or economical system. If the people of Taiwan can't recognize this lie, and thus become less willing to compromise with Beijing, then they will unfortunately end up with less autonomy.

If there is any wisdom in Taiwan, people should recognize now if the best time bargain with Xi to get the most out of reunification for Taiwan. Only a powerful leader like Xi on the mainland is in the position to give more.

Putting the deep politics aside, just look at the above. There is a manpower shortage, this is well-known. The government (both KMT and DPP) doesn't want to conscript further so they dangle higher pay and other incentives, but still no one wants to volunteer. This is making is harder and harder for the people in the armed forces right now, even in peacetime. People say these 70%, 80%, 100% of the population will suddenly turn into fearsome guerilla fighters once the PLA lands, but those are dreams, this is the reality.
 

Bellum_Romanum

Brigadier
Registered Member
What do you think their gap is at the moment?
I imagine that ROCAF training standard is patterned after USAF training standard.
I don't imagine we have any statistics like mishaps per flight hour.

One issue that the news was complaining about was the interceptions from PRC was happening too often which was impacting ground crews/maintenance as well as flight crews. I believe it was posted that they would no longer scramble for smaller incursions.



Putting the deep politics aside, just look at the above. There is a manpower shortage, this is well-known. The government (both KMT and DPP) doesn't want to conscript further so they dangle higher pay and other incentives, but still no one wants to volunteer. This is making is harder and harder for the people in the armed forces right now, even in peacetime. People say these 70%, 80%, 100% of the population will suddenly turn into fearsome guerilla fighters once the PLA lands, but those are dreams, this is the reality.
Those are pipe dreams and wishful thinking being propagated by the feel good Western folks. Essentially pushing the idea of gaining something without sacrificing for it.
 

victoon

Junior Member
Registered Member
Putting the deep politics aside, just look at the above. There is a manpower shortage, this is well-known. The government (both KMT and DPP) doesn't want to conscript further so they dangle higher pay and other incentives, but still no one wants to volunteer. This is making is harder and harder for the people in the armed forces right now, even in peacetime. People say these 70%, 80%, 100% of the population will suddenly turn into fearsome guerilla fighters once the PLA lands, but those are dreams, this is the reality.
Some people in Taiwan are talking of guerilla/insurgency, which just shows how little they know about wars. There is mindboggling amount of group think on the island fueled by the DPP controlled media. One thing about insurgency people should know: It's always done by people with LITTLE to lose or too MUCH to lose.

Too LITTLE to lose? These are really poor people in underdeveloped regions. They tend to value life much less, a requirement for insurgency because they always die way more than the well trained counter insurgency forces. They also tend to have little economical prospect. You simply don't see middle class urban dwellers risk obliterating their cities to conduct guerilla warfare. Those are American wet dream to sacrifice Taiwanese to hurt the unified China.

Too MUCH to lose? All you need to see are genocidal wars in Europe.

As a mainlander I understand Taiwanese resentment of coercion from the mainland. They are given away by China to a colonial master. When they came back, the KMT treated them horribly (228 and marshal law). Either have left a mark on their psyche. But the CCP/mainland is not looking to rule them. What the mainland is looking for is unity among Chinese, a sensible pursuit given foreign 'divide and conquer' of China since the opium war to TODDAY!!! So instead of wasting their lives in a war, or worse in a guerilla war, their energy is better spent on political autonomy and economical dominance within China, both of which are well deserved given history.
 

victoon

Junior Member
Registered Member
very good analysis on what might have happened with the F16V crash. Also kudos to Yu to point out that these training crashes has absolutely nothing to do with PLA training in the SCS. I have been pretty annoyed by the attempt to blame the accidents in Taiwan on PLA activities. It is as ridiculous as if China blames the US for a training accident. If there are car accident, you should accept there are fighter jet accidents.
 

emblem21

Major
Registered Member
Pieces of the plane and pilot have been found, currently DNA tests are ongoing to confirm the identity.
Sigh, not sure how they can even consider defending Taiwan if there weapons are designed to fail. I thought the USA has the best weapons?
 
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