Taipei has little intention of being patient about san order for 66 F16Vs validated by the Department of State on August 20, and which must soon receive the approval of the American Congress very soon. In fact, the Taiwanese authorities have informed their American counterparts of their intention to conclude the negotiations as quickly as possible, and to accelerate, as much as possible, the delivery procedures concerning the equipment ordered.
This announcement comes as, on the sidelines of preparations for the October 1 parade for the 70th anniversary of the birth of the People's Republic of China, several photos of new Chinese equipment have appeared. Thus, the parade will include a drone component, with the already well-known MALE Wing Loong drone, but also the Sharp Sword stealth combat drone, as well as a new drone having the attributes of a high-speed device, and which is identified by supersonic drone observers. Ballistic missiles will also be in the spotlight, notably the DF26 medium-range anti-ship ballistic missiles, and the DF41 intercontinental missile which is to replace the current DF5 missile. The DF41 is an 80-ton ballistic missile launched from a mobile platform, and can reach targets more than 13.000 km away by carrying up to 10 MIRVs from 20 to 150 kt. In addition, photos of the progress of work on the first Chinese Type 075 LHD show significant and rapid progress, and confirm the launch of the building by the end of the year, with entry into service likely by the end of 2020, or the beginning of 2021.
Everything seems to indicate that Beijing supports with determination the rapid modernization of its armed forces, and will in fact quickly be able to combine the power of numbers linked to its format with that linked to the implementation of modern and efficient equipment. , posing existential threats to the independent island of Taiwan. Because if the authorities of the island know full well that they will never be able to prevail over the long term against the forces of Beijing in a conventional conflict, they also know that by resisting long enough, they will give time to the Western economic reprisals to weaken Beijing's determination in the face of its population, and may even benefit, if necessary, from military support from the United States or even from the entire Western camp.
It is therefore a race against time which has begun in Taipei to strengthen and modernize the island's defense forces, until now very slowed down by American and European hesitation in order not to offend Beijing, in the face of the dynamic Chinese which will reach, in the few years to come, the necessary and sufficient potential to militarily seize the Island.