Taiwan budgets for 12-year, $2.2 billion advanced jet trainer programme

China has never renounced the use of force to take back the self-ruled island, which it sees as a renegade province, and maintains that any bid to declare independence would lead to war. “New model advanced jet trainers” will be developed to replace the air force’s aging fleet and an initial T$555 million is being set aside for the programme in 2017, according to the defence ministry’s detailed budget seen by Reuters. Budget allocations for the programme that runs to 2028 amount to T$68.6 billion, according to the ministry. Taiwan has been working to develop its own defence equipment such as small warships for the navy. In the past, it has developed fighter jets. But technology transfer from allies is critical to the success of its indigenous programmes. Last year, Taiwan allocated an initial budget for developing its own submarines, but the multi-year programme has yet to receive key foreign technological support. The United States approved an $1.83 billion arms deal to Taiwan in December, the first such sale in four years, but it was mostly aimed at updating existing equipment and munitions. Weapons sales to diplomatically isolated Taiwan anger China.