Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense held an unscheduled press conference this afternoon to refute some media reports regarding the purchase of new fighters from United States.
The local media reported that the deal is worth $13 billion. The ministry says this is untrue as they are waiting for the reply from Washington.
During the question and answer portion, the military refused to say if the island is considering the F-35. A military officer says all purchases are based on requirements. The island will wait for the Pentagon’s recommendations on which fighter the United States will offer to sell. The number of aircraft is also undetermined. The new fighter will not be replacing an existing type in service with the air force.