http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/strike/2016/01/16/despite-pressures-china-taiwan-might-procure-harriers/78733284/
Taiwan has a special need to STOVL aircraft as their runways would likely be bombed by China very quickly if war broke out:
>The AV-8 would fulfill Taiwan’s much-needed vertical and/or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) requirement. China is expected to destroy Taiwan’s air bases within the first few hours of a war with its estimated 1,400 short-range ballistic missile arsenal and the Harrier’s V/STOL capability will allow the Taiwan air force to maintain air operations by hiding the aircraft in the mountainous interior.
However, many Taiwanese officials would rather hold out for the F-35B instead:
>The spokesman’s office of Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) said the Air Force wants the best operational advantage and will want advanced fighters with supersonic, STOVL, stealth, and beyond-visual-range capabilities. Though in the past, the AV-8 was considered an option, “this kind of aircraft is outdated and its performance and capabilities fail to meet future operational requirements.”
>>28572625
Thats a shame most people agree on its obsolescence. I love how they look
F-35 would be a better deal
Jesus fuck they better not follow through with that idea. Those planes are on their last legs and would be next to useless in any kind of real war.
They should just buy F-35Bs.
I doubt the US will sell F35s to Taiwan tho
Taiwan wants to buy a lot of shit, it's the US that isn't selling
Doubt the US would sell them an F-35B, given how assmad China would get about it and threaten to do shit with trade.
Maybe a Marine pilot will 'defect' on a 'training mission', and the island chinks will reverse engineer it and build their own.
>>28573082
Based on the article, it seems like that is what they really want. The AV-8B is just their plan B if they aren't able to get F-35s. They don't just want the F-35, they're absolutely drooling over it, so much so that they've produced military patches for an aircraft that they don't actually have.
>>28573133
ROCAF means "Republic of China Air Force."
Taiwan still considers itself the true "Republic of China."
>>28573148
Taiwan is controlled by the Republic of China, in exile from the mainland after being driven out by the People's Republic of China.
They are the Republic of China. The People's Republic of China is the communist government that controls the mainland.
It's a little confusing.
Well at least our piece of shit products would be going to them rather than their piece of shit products coming to us.
>>28572739
it would
>>28573118
Honestly the US probably won't sell them the F-35 just on the risk that China eventually takes over and all that tech is now in the hands of dirty commies.
>>28572625
Really whats the use? China craters the Taiwanese Air Force, and moves in their air superiority platforms. And Taiwain's ace up it sleeve is...harriers?
Taiwan would be better building hardened bunkers and rapid runway repair technology.
>>28573148
>Taiwan still considers itself the true "Republic of China."
Only the old timers, the young people consider themselves Taiwanese.
>>28574440
That's if you ask them what they most identify as. Most of them would agree they are of Chinese descent, because, they literally are.
>>28572625
F-35 was ruled out many many years ago in our treaty with China.
Harrier it will be, if at all.
Honestly, Taiwan ought to just procure mobile long-range cruise missiles or ballistic missiles instead. They'd be cheaper and probably last for approximately the same number of combat sorties in a shooting war with China.
>>28574415
But harriers can easily destroy China's air force made of monkey model Flankers and MiG-21 derived platforms. China has literally no planes that can stand up to the American avionics and weaponry on the Harrier, the Harriers would just kill them all BVR in the event of an attack
Wow Tzuyu is literally going to start WWIII
I really doubt Taiwan can afford the F-35.
>>28573148
>>28573245
Which is why we give them a ton of stuff instead of scrapping it.
>>28574535
>muh ancestry
>>28574440
The young people are a bunch of pussyass Strawberry Generation homosexuals who think they can beat the Chicomms by appealing to the equally spineless hipster Millennial in the West to save them through the powers of democracy and social justice.
The last time they had a fighting chance was late 80s to 90s, when they at least still had a generation with a backbone. Modern Taiwanese youth are a joke and a far cry from the tough KMT gangsters of their grandfathers' era that used M5 Stuarts to run over the PLA on Kunningtou in the 1950s
>>28574535
>That's if you ask them what they most identify as. Most of them would agree they are of Chinese descent, because, they literally are.
there was also a non-chinese aboringine population in taiwan. they don't liek the nationalists or the commies. they're a bit fucked in the middle and comprise a large amount of the population.
>>28574553
those are non-proliferation technologies. fuck no that's not happening.
>>28576584
>tough KMT
the reason the kmt lost was they were the most incompetent, most corrupt, most useless and cowardly bitches on the battlefield. there was nothing tough about them. it was the reds, unfortunately, that had the balls.
>>28576584
>How does losing to a 60 year old woman feel, Chu?
>>28576673
Breddy good since Tsai wants to imitate Angela Merkel's refugee policies and open Taiwan's asshole to shitskin immigration.
Modern Taiwanese are gay little faggots who are fast going the way of Europeans.
>>28576721
>Breddy good since Tsai wants to imitate Angela Merkel's refugee policies and open Taiwan's asshole to shitskin immigration.
Yo I'm gonna need a couple barrels of sauce on that
>>28576732
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/15/tsai-ing-wen-former-professor-on-course-to-be-most-powerful-woman-in-chinese-speaking-world>;
“The fact that Angela Merkel opened the borders to the Syrian refugees was something that Tsai commented on as being a very courageous and positive step that she would take too,” he said. “I think there are many good [similarities] there.”
>cultural enrichment incoming
>>28576721
>Modern Taiwanese are gay little faggots who are fast going the way of Europeans.
What kind of crack are you on? Where do you even get your information? Last time I checked, Europeans don't break into their parliaments every 6 months over some shit like trade agreements.
>>28576732
Its no secret that the DPP is hoping to increase the number of Filipino citizens to counteract all the cockroach Mainlanders who have been brought in by the KMT in recent years. They are already sucking the dicks of the Taiwanese aborigines in an attempt to make the distinction between Taiwanese and Chinese identity even greater.
Taiwan is going full SJW, not just in politics but also in multiculti policies because they think it will make them more Western.
>>28576762
>>28576746
To be fair, it's that or get overwhelmed by Chinese immigrants.
>>28576851
Its still racial treason. Its like if the UK brought in tons of Pakis and Arabs just because it was afraid of being absorbed by Americans
>>28576732
http://qz.com/596269/taiwans-new-president-is-a-female-academic-who-loves-cats-and-supports-gay-rights/
>>28575278
What are you even talking about
>>28576762
>Taiwanks claim to be real bastion Chinese culture.
>Pull off this shit.
Pretty pathetic really.
>>28576868
Americans seem like a much better option now. I hate needing a license for a spoon.
>>28572625
India is the last operator in the world, and they are retiring it in 2017.
>>28577100
China wiped out their culture under communism.
What is left is a sad hyper-commercialized parody.
>>28577365
Wrong harrier. India is the last operator of the original harrier.
>>28572625
Harriers have a high fail rate, if they lost their airfields then maintenance would be scarce
Taiwanese here
This nation is an absolute fucking disgrace.
SJW everywhere, NO ONE in the god damn government is willing to face actual problems
We even got people waving the red FUCKING Chinese flag under T101
Seriously, fuck this nation
Pic related is supposed to he the pinnacle of our army tech
Note the 105 and the lack of ERA and/or APS
>>28577464
What's wrong with 105?
>>28577583
Nothing particularly but even our MBTs use 105
We really should have something with 120
>>28572625
Damn I really feel bad for whatever pilot has to step into a decades-old Harrier II and pretend he has a chance of defeating the Chinese air force. The Harrier wasn't exactly safe even when it was brand-new.
>>28577464
I know the guy who convinced your army to go with the M60A3 over the M1A1 and it was because the Chinese have nothing the 105 can't touch and you had so much of it that buying the M1A1 and all the ammo would have been a lot more costly.
That and there was no reason to have an offensive tank on an island where if you are fighting offensively that means you have your friends there and your tanks are all smashed anyways.
>>28578900
This is kinda true. If the Chinese manage to land troops, the war is already a lost cause. It seems better to focus on anti-ship and anti-aircraft weapons.
>>28578900
>I know the guy
Sure.
>>28578958
I shit you not. He was sent to Taiwan to train some of them on the M60A3 while another guy trained a few on the M1A1 and the Brits trained them on the Chally so they could see which one fit the best. He didn't mean to do it which was the best part. A guy he didn't recognize asked for his honest opinion of the tanks and he told him that for their fight, the M60A3 made the best choice because it was cheapest and was a damn good defensive tank. Turns out the guy was a colonel and took that as gospel.
Has any country ever built silos for VTOL aircraft?
Also, can the Harrier really just land wherever and take off again?
>>28579029
If I remember correctly. The Harrier can take off wherever, under light load. A full load requires a Short Take Off roll.
>>28576650
>inb4 someone claims the German trained units redeem their reputation
>>28579029
>you will never knock out a thousand tanks with a tactical nuclear weapon and land in a car park in switzerland
<China's face when harrier II
>>28579039
Yes you are right on both counts.
If you read the article, it's immensely clear that Taiwan is NOT happy with the idea of procuring Harriers at all. They know they'd be practically useless in a real fight and hell to maintain, it's just that they need some sort of S/VTOL aircraft and the Harrier fits the bill.
>>28578878
It would probably not at all dissimilar to what Iraqi pilots felt taking off against Iranian F-14s or American F-15s. I honestly don't even see the point to having the AV-8B, it sounds like it's essentially dead weight in the air and it doesen't have the operation range to strike the mainland. I suppose you could try and use them for one way, low flying CAS before they get shot out the sky but as already discussed if the Chinese land on Taiwan it's already over.
>>28575278
kek
>>28574368
Israel will sell info long before China takes over Taiwan.
>>28581414
>implying they haven't already
>>28574368
China's had info on the f-35 for over 5 years now.
Chinese hackers are no joke.
>>28581472
China gets sold misinformation and hence why they are still so far behind.
With millions of lines of codes, all the US has to do is fucking a few lines and it would take them years to sort that shit out.
More news at 11
>>28581517
Looks fine to me.
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1737917-investigative-report-china-theft-incorporated/?c=u
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNobp7OnlJw
>>28581577
>Looks
My point exactly.
And the J-31 and F-35 are not alike. The J-31 does not and will not have VTOL capabilities.
You think Taiwan's crazy enough to try to make their own VTOL jet, or maybe jointly make one with Japan?
>>28581595
With a thinner airframe, I don't think it was meant to be, more for the role of air superiority.
Nonetheless, the f-35b's blueprints are being shared like a cheap whore.
Maybe if you dig through google enough you'll be able to find the blueprints yourself.
>>28581727
Yes you are, you F-16 with improved design which unfortunetally still uses shitty avionics from 80s.
Those living on Taiwan: what is Taiwanese youth really like? Would they really be willing to shed blood and die in a war or are they all talk, teenage and naive 20-somethings wanksters like Occupy Hong Kong?
>>28581595
>>28581517
Found the Lockheed shill. Do you use that that 50 cents you get to buy McDonalds?
>>28576721
lucky for the Taiwanese that the mudslims chimped out in Europe before Tsai got elected
>>28582865
Taiwanese
I would say that both types of people exist, however, the latter probably contains more people since the mandatory conscription (which is being reduced to a mere 4 months nowadays) is a joke. People exit training having fired not more than 10 shots at the range.
>>28581577
The avionics and engine are what make the F-35 the F-35. Without them you have a shitty airframe, especially if you fuck up the stealth like the chinks did.
>>28582837
Huey!
>>28583596
You called?
>>28573118
>Doubt the US would sell them an F-35B, given how assmad China would get about it and threaten to do shit with trade.
>Trade
Wouldn't that be good for Taiwan-US relations or something?
>We're not going to trade with you anymore, Taiwan!
>That's cool, we'll just start trading more with America-senpai, they've got some good deals for us now.
>B-B... DIRTY CAPITALIST PIGS!!! CHINA WILL GROW STRONGER!!!
>>28576650
Chiang was such a shit leader he was imprisoned by his own generals. At least Mao didnt go full retard until after he'd won the civil war.
>>28577464
You became cucks when your victory condition was to live on your shitty little island instead of liberating china from the usurping CCP. Enjoy your irrelevance.
>>28583555
But the airframe of the F-35 is fine, China fucking up the aerodynamics of the FC-31 (as implied by the recent airshow) is their own issue.
>>28581577
It looks like an F-22 knockoff with F-35 inlets.
>>28583936
No, China would flip out and pull trade war shit with the US. China doesn't trade much with Taiwan now.
>>28584079
How would that affect America though?
China would be hurt more from cutting trade with the US than America would China. Besides, America has more allies to fall back to if China pulls some shit.
>>28576851
>>28576762
>>28576746
>>28579150
I kinda wish this cultural enriching backfired and a ton of white people instead use this to immigrate in the tens of millions in a sort of 'not-imperialism'.
Since Asians all want to be white and have a huge inferiority complex, they will more then happily let themselves be culturally enriched and Asia will gradually become the new super advanced home for billions more of white europeans and their billions of happa spawn, and whites will gradually take over until it looks like a combination of Russia and old Germany in demographics.
And then the aryans and honorary aryans can proceed to conquer the remaining lands on earth from the real shitskins as part of some grand Eurasian-Western alliance.
>>28584146
>How would that affect America though?
That it would hurt China more would be some salve, but America doesn't think giving Taiwan F35 is worth the consequences of getting into an expensive pissing match with China that would cost billions or trillions on both sides of the Pacific.
>>28577085
The fact that if Taiwan bought Harriers, they'd have planes far superior to anything China could possibly field thats not a direct Russian export since their domestic aircraft industry is below India tier
>>28584236
I kinda wish you'd die in a fire.
Or at least go back to /pol/ and Stormfront where you fucking belong.
>>28584236
Back to /pol/ retard
>>28584249
I can kind of understand, but it just seems like that'd further the hate most every Asian country has for China, and strengthen their ties with America.
If America picked up the slack left behind by China from countries like Japan or S. Korea, the only people it'd be hurting would be the Chinese.
It just seems to me to be a lose-lose for China pretty much any way you play it.
>>28572625
Do they still make them? Would they settle for used ones, or would they have to license them and build some parts or something?
