Washington, Sept 21 (ANI): It has become increasingly risky for the United States to intervene in China and Taiwan's conflict as it plans to upgrade Taiwan's existing F-16 fighter jet fleet to defend itself, experts have warned.
The United States has reportedly decided not to sell new F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, but planned to upgrade that country's existing fleet.
According to the US, upgrading the old jets would allow Taiwan to defend itself but would avoid opening a major rift with China, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and opposes any arms sales to the country.
Defense experts, however, believe the upgrades are insufficient to reverse a military balance which has tipped dramatically in China's favor over the last few years with its deployment of hundreds of missiles and advanced fighter jets opposite Taiwan, the Wall street Journal reports.
Critics also claimed that China's new capabilities, especially a "carrier-killing" anti-ship ballistic missile that Taiwan and the U.S. believe is now operational, are making it increasingly risky for the US to intervene in a conflict over the island.
The experts also said the upgraded aircraft would be of no match to China's estimated 300-400 Russian-designed Su-27 and Su-30 fighters, also known as "Flankers," which carry more fuel and weapons, allowing them to fly further and fight longer.
"Realistically, it doesn't matter if they sell them shiny brand new planes, or upgrades, an F-16 is not competitive against a Flanker," the paper quoted Carlo Kopp, an expert on Chinese military aviation, as saying.
According to the paper, the experts have said that in the more likely scenario of a naval blockade, Taiwan might hold out for up to two or three weeks, its basic defense doctrine being not to defeat Chinese forces but to resist them just long enough for the US to intervene.
The last time the US intervened militarily was in 1996, when it sent two aircraft carrier groups to the Taiwan Strait after China fired missiles into the sea off the island's coast.
Today, though, it is unclear if the U.S. could risk doing the same, as its bases in South Korea, Japan and Guam are now within reach of Chinese missiles, and an approaching US carrier would be vulnerable to multiple Chinese missile and submarine attacks. (ANI)
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