Taiwan Aims To Complete Fighter Jet Prototype In 10-Years

Taiwan has set a target to complete a prototype of a new fighter jet in 10 years and is ready to develop the engine for it.

A budget proposal for the jet engine program will be sent to the Legislature later this year for approval, Chang Guan-chung, president of the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST), said in a legislative hearing.

If the budget is approved, the program to develop the engine will start in 2018 and a prototype of a new fighter jet will be completed in 10 years, Chang was quoted as saying in Focus Taiwan news Channel.

He said in response to questions by members of the legislative Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.

The engine program is an important part of Taiwan's plan to develop an advanced fighter jet to replace its aging fleet of combat aircraft, which is made up mostly of U.S.-made F-16s, France-made Mirage 2000-5s and indigenous IDFs.

The engine for the new aircraft will be based on the Israel Defense Force's TFE-1042-70 engine and is being developed by the NCSIST, Taiwan's main weapons research and development institute.