[2001 年11月1日] [綜合自由時報 報導]

美國國防安全合作署十月三十日宣佈一項金額達二億八千八百萬美元的軍售案，以提供台灣經國號戰機在內的各型軍機後勤支援。 美國政府今年同意對台軍售的金額累計已達十億美元。

美國國防安全合作署在知會國會的新聞稿指出，台北駐美國經濟文化代表處已要求建立一項後勤供應支援合作，為台灣擁有的F-5E/F、C-130H和F-16A/B飛機及其自製經國號戰機（ＩＤＦ）的美國系統與次系統提供零組件。

據了解，台灣曾陸續提出採購戰機零件和後勤支援系統的要求，由於這些軍品敏感度不高，因此美國國防部決定一次同意各型戰機的後勤支援採購案。

國防安全合作署指出，這項銷售符合美國的法律與政策，不會影響台海地區的基本軍事平衡，美國的國防準備也不會由於此提議的銷售而受到任何不利的衝擊。

對於美國昨天宣佈一項金額約為二億八千八百萬美元提供台灣各型軍機後勤支援軍售案，也包括空軍F-5E/F射控雷達，國防部長伍世文昨天表示，包括日前美國售台「標槍」反戰車飛彈，都是美國依據台灣作戰需求提出正常軍事採購的一部份，均為按照預定計畫進行。

軍方官員說，空軍F-5E/F戰機已經捍衛台海安全二十餘年，儘管空軍二代戰機陸續成軍，不過依照目前規畫，空軍現今部署的F-5E/F戰機預計服役到民國九十九年，為提高這型戰機妥善率和空戰能力，明年開始空軍將陸續更新四十架F-5E/F戰機的射控雷達為AN/APQ-159的V5型，並將更換後的AN/APQ-159雷達原零件做為拆併件，以提供其他戰機維修。

軍方官員指出，儘管美國海軍都已經開始採購F-22型的最新一代戰機，不過也仍舊保留部分F-5E戰機服役，美國海軍去年也採購AN/APQ-159（V5）型火控雷達並進行換裝，美軍還評估F-5型戰機更新雷達後可使用到二○一五年。

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Below is the news report from China Times.

The U.S. Defense Department announced Tuesday it has agreed to sell Taiwan certain military aircraft components, costing US$280 million. This is the fourth such sale to Taiwan this year.

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), responsible for such sales, informed the United States Congress on October 30 of the decision to consent to the provision of "systems and sub-systems components" to Taiwan for military planes currently in service, including the F5E/F, C130H transporter, F16A/B fighter planes, and the Taiwan-developed Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF). Barring any unexpected opposition in the U.S. Congress, finalization of the US$280 million components deal is forthcoming.

According to the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States made the request with U.S. authorities, and as Taiwan's armed forces will have no difficulty absorbing the systems, neither the U.S. government nor contractors need to send representatives to Taiwan to see the sale through. In its announcement, the DSCA stated that the sale is consistent with U.S. law and policy, is not expected to adversely affect the basic military balance in the Taiwan Strait region, and will not adversely affect U.S. defense readiness.

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Wednesday played down the planned U.S. sales of spare parts to Taiwan for various types of military aircraft, saying that the deal is mainly for logistics supply purposes.

An MND official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the items in the sales package unveiled by American authorities Tuesday are all spare parts for U.S.-made military aircraft now in service in the ROC air force.

"This is a normal 'cooperative logistics supply support arrangement' and does not have any sensitive significance," the official said.

According to the official, the United States will provide spare parts for various types of military aircraft, including the F-5E/F and F-16 A/B jet fighters, and the C-130H transport planes, as well as for the U.S. systems and subsystems installed on the IDF.

The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Tuesday it had notified Congress of a possible agreement to provide Taiwan with spare parts and logistical support for the F-5E/F and F-16 fighter jets, the C-130H transport plane, and for the U.S. systems of the IDF aircraft.

The agency under the U.S. Department of Defense said the sale would not affect the basic military balance in the Taiwan Strait area, adding that it would also not have an adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness.

"These spare parts are required to assure that aircraft and aircraft systems previously procured from the United States are maintained in a mission ready status," the agency said in a news release.

Last Friday, the U.S. defense cooperation agency also announced a proposed sale of 40 Javelin anti-tank missile systems to Taiwan at an estimated cost of US$51 million.

If the U.S. Congress approves the sale as expected, this will represent the first addition of Javelin missiles to the ROC's anti-armor arsenal.

Military sources said the systems would enhance Taiwan's medium-range anti-tank capability, provide Taiwan with a strong anti-landing capability and increase its inter-operability with U.S. forces. With a range of approximately 2,500 meters, Javelin is equipped with an imaging infrared system and a fire-and-forget guided missile.