The Taiwan media reported that the Chinese military may be engaged in a war of attrition against Taiwan, and that during this recent period, the Taiwan Air Force has spent more than NT$100 million in response to small actions such as mainland warplanes crossing the centerline of the strait to take off to intercept and drive them away. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense responded that international oil prices have plummeted, and the current cost of fuel for the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense is rarely abundant, so there is no need to worry. However, in response to the situation in the Taiwan Strait next year, the Ministry of National Defense is still expanding the cost of fuel by one billion yuan.
According to statistics released by Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense, more than 50 mainland fighter jets have crossed the centerline of the strait or entered the edge of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) since September. Taiwan media reported that the cost of each hour of operation for the planes lifted off for the interception mission is close to NT$1 million, and that the Taiwan Ministry of Defense has spent more than NT$100 million during the recent period to respond to the disturbance of Taiwan by mainland fighters.
In response to this report, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense did not confirm how much money was spent on the recent interception of mainland military aircraft, but only said that the military has certain norms for responding to the disturbance of Taiwan by mainland warplanes, and that it has plenty of logistical energy, and is absolutely capable of carrying out the task of defending sovereignty, and asked the people of Taiwan to rest assured.
The Chinese Communist Party intends to fight a war of attrition to wear down the logistical energy of Taiwan’s military by disturbing Taiwan with normal fighter jets, according to Taiwan media reports. On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Taiwan’s Minister of National Defense Yen Te-Fa pointed out during an inspection of the Qingquan Gang base that, in the face of the Chinese Communist Party’s various provocations and military incursions into Taiwan, the Taiwan Air Force (TAF) has increased its sorties and hours by about 20% compared to the same period last year.
The analysis of the report pointed out that the current Taiwan Air Force intercept missions include Mirage fighters, F-16 fighters, and warplanes such as the Kinko’s. Of the three, the Mirage consumes the most fuel, about 30 percent more than the Kinko’s; not only fuel consumption, but also high unit cost of warplane parts and components, for example, the Kinko’s “gradual expansion lapel sheet” that surprised President Tsai Ing-wen during the previous visual tour, costs Taiwan $380,000, which is indispensable.
Taiwan’s military sources revealed that, because of the new coronary pneumonia epidemic caused by the international oil prices plummeted, the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense is rarely abundant in fuel costs, so there is no need to use the second reserve fund for the time being. The person also said, in response to the Legislative Yuan session, the Ministry of National Defense in past years, mostly at this time, to the Executive Yuan, to report to use the second reserve fund, to support the cost of fuel. But this year, the Taiwan military’s fuel costs have so far been sufficient to cover the expenses, and there is no need to use the second reserve fund. However, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense is still planning for the future, and has already made an additional provision of one billion yuan for fuel costs in next year’s public budget, in order to meet the needs of countermeasures against the evolving situation in the Taiwan Strait.
In addition, after the Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft crossed the southwest Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on October 1, Chinese warships also appeared off the coast of Hualien yesterday (October 2), only 30 nautical miles from the east coast of Taiwan, sailing north. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said that the national army can respond in real time, the current situation is normal.
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