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Republic of China Air Force
中華民國空軍
Badge of the Republic of China Air Force
Founded	1920; 104 years ago (1920)
Country	Republic of China
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	35,000 Approx 600 aircraft
Part of	Republic of China Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Zhongshan, Taipei, Taiwan (ROC)
Commanders
Commanding-General	Gen. Hsiung Hou-chi
Deputy Commanding-General	Lt. Gen. Chang Yen-ting Lt. Gen. Fan Ta-wei
Chief of Staff	Lt. Gen. Cheng Jung-feng
Insignia
Roundel
Flag
Aircraft flown
Electronic warfare	E-2T/K, C-130HE
Fighter	F-16A/B/AM/BM Block 20, Mirage 2000-5Di/Ei, F-CK-1C/D, F-5E/F
Helicopter	S-70C-1/1A, S-70C-6, UH-60M
Reconnaissance	RF-5E, RF-16
Trainer	AT-3B, T-34
Transport	C-130H, Fokker 50, Beechcraft B-1900C, Boeing 737-800

Republic of China Air Force

Traditional Chinese

中華民國空軍

Simplified Chinese

中华民国空军

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn
Bopomofo	ㄓㄨㄥㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄎㄨㄥㄐㄩㄣ
Wade–Giles	Chunghua Minkuo Kongchün
Tongyong Pinyin	Jhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjyūn
Hakka
Romanization	Chûng-fà Mìn-koet Khung-kiûn

The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF; Chinese: 中華民國空軍; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn,) is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan. Priorities of the ROCAF include the development of long range reconnaissance and surveillance networks, integrating C4ISTAR systems to increase battle effectiveness, procuring counterstrike weapons, next generation fighters, and hardening airfields and other facilities to survive a surprise attack.

In May 2005, the Ministry of National Defense indicated its intention to transfer command of all defensive missile systems to the ROCAF, while future offensive missiles would be placed under a newly formed missile command. As of 2006, all medium and long range SAM units were transferred from ROC Army's Missile Command to ROCAF, while ROCAF's airbase security units were transferred to ROC Army Military Police. However, it was revealed that in January 2011, five years of problems of integrating those long range ex-ROC Army SAM units into ROCAF has forced ROCAF high command to return those units back to ROC Army's Missile Command. Missile Command is now directly under Defense Ministry's GHQ control.

In July 2010, former United States Air Force deputy under secretary for international affairs, Bruce Lemkin, said that Taiwan's ability to defend its airspace had degraded due to its ageing fighters and that the sale of new US fighter aircraft to Taiwan was an urgent priority.^[1] However, the ROC Air Force has trouble getting fighter planes from abroad due to mainland China's attempts to suppress fighter sales from any country. The People's Republic of China views the island of Taiwan as a rogue province instead of an independent nation, and has called the F-16 fighter or any foreign fighter sales a "red line".^[2] It is believed that mainland China plans to eliminate the ROC Air Force by preventing any sale of new aircraft whilst gradually wearing its ageing fighters into an inoperable state as they have to frequently intercept PLAAF aircraft who perform almost daily approaches to ROC airspace.^[3]^[4]^[5] According to the Republic of China's defense minister, Yen Teh-fa, the People's Republic of China sends about 2,000 bomber patrols per year to the Taiwan Strait separating Taiwan and China mainland.^[6]^[7]

ROCAF strategy until some years ago was to use IDF fighters for low altitude interception and ground attack, F-16s for mid altitude interception and ground attack and Mirage 2000-5s for high altitude interception. Taiwan had to upgrade F-5 fighters due to issues in buying modern fighters. In new strategy Taiwan Air Force should seek to deny Chinese fighters, bombers and drones from Taiwan by deploying integrated air defenses, including Patriot PAC-3 batteries and Tian Kung-2 surface to air missiles assigned to defend air bases, and smaller mobile air defense systems to prevent the PLA from providing air support to invading forces.

Organization

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Like most of the other branches of the ROC armed forces, much of the ROCAF's structure and organization is patterned after the United States Air Force. Like the USAF, the ROCAF used to have a wing → group → squadron structure. After November 2004, tactical fighter wing switch to wing → Tactical Fighter Group, with some fighter squadrons stood down, with each tactical fighter group, still pretty much the same size as a squadron, now commanded by a full colonel.

The main operational units in Taiwan Air Force include:

6 tactical combat aircraft wings.
1 transport and antisubmarine wing.
1 tactical control wing.
1 communication and ATC wing.
1 weather forecasting wing.
1 air defense command, comprising 4 commands, 14 air defense artillery battalions and 11 guard battalions.

Republic of China Air Force Command Headquarters

Air Force GHQ is subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff (military), the Minister of National Defense (civilian) and the President.

Internal Units: Personnel, Combat Readiness and Training, Logistics, Planning, Communications, Electronics & Information, General Affairs, Comptroller, Inspector General, Political Warfare.
Air Force Combatant Command

Weather Wing: Tamsui, New Taipei City
Communications, Air Traffic Control & Information Wing : Taipei City
Air Tactical Control Wing

Ground fixed and mobile long-range air search radar sites, consist of various TPS-117, TPS-75V, FPS-117, GE-592 and HADR radars, plus 1 PAVE PAWS (Phased Array Warning System) early warning radar site in northern Taiwan, will enter service late 2012.

Air Defense Artillery Command

4 Air Defense Missile & Artillery brigades, 951st (Taipei), 952nd (Taichung), 953rd (Kaohsiung), 954th (Hualien)

4 Air Defense Missile I-HAWK battalions, 621st, 622nd, 662nd, and 664th battalions, with Phase III and 7 Phase I batteries.
1 TK-1/2 Air Defense Missile battalion, 951st Brigade, 611st battalion with 6 companies/batteries.
1 Patriot PAC-2+ GEM/PAC-3 Air Defense/Anti-Ballistic Missile battalion, with 3 mixed companies/batteries that are all upgrading to PAC-3 standard, with 7 more PAC 3 companies/batteries on order.
1 Skyguard Short Range Airbase Air Defense battalion, with 6 companies/batteries and radar sub units with OTO 35mm AAA, s
2 Antelope Short Range Airbase Air Defense battalions, with unknown companies/batteries.
At least 2 AAA Air Defense Artillery battalions, with 40mm/L60 and 12.7mm AAA guns.

Air Defense Artillery Training Center: Pingtung
- Target Service Squadron
- Education Service Support Company
- First training company
- Second training company
- Third training company

Education, Training & Doctrine Command

Combat Wing	Air Base	Model
Air Force Songshan Base Command	Songshan Airport, Taipei, Taiwan	Boeing 737-800
1st Tactical Fighter Wing	Tainan Air Base, Tainan, Taiwan Penghu Airport, Magong, Penghu^[8]	AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo
2nd Tactical Fighter Wing	Hsinchu Air Base, Hsinchu, Taiwan	Mirage 2000-5
3rd Tactical Fighter Wing	Ching Chuan Kang Air Base, Taichung, Taiwan	AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo
4th Tactical Fighter Wing	Chiayi Air Base, Chiayi, Taiwan	F-16A/B, F-16V, Sikorsky S-70, UH-60M, EC-225
5th Tactical Fighter Wing	Hualien Airport Chiashan Air Force Base, Hualien, Taiwan	F-16A/B、RF-16、RF-5E、F-5F
6th Tactical Mixed Wing	Pingtung Air Base, Pingtung, Taiwan Kinmen Airport, Kinmen Dongsha Airport Taiping Island Airport ^[9]	E-2K、C-130H、P-3C
7th Flight Training Wing	Chihhang Air Base, Taitung, Taiwan	F-5E/F

Post-imperial China

The Qing Dynasty had established aircraft operations at the Beijing Nanyuan airfield in 1909, just before the abolishment of their rule following the Double Ten Revolution in 1911, and became the airbase to where the early beginnings of the Republic of China Air Force took shape. Aircraft in Chinese service were first recorded to have been deployed in military operations under post-Qing leader Yuan Shikai's Beiyang government, with reconnaissance and bombing drops during the Bailang Rebellion of 1913-14.^[11] In July of 1917, Qing loyalist general Zhang Xun led the Manchu Restoration, and then-Premier of the Republic Duan Qirui ordered the bombing of the Forbidden City; the mission was carried out in a Caudron Type D aircraft piloted by Pan Shizhong (潘世忠) and bombardier Du Yuyuan (杜裕源) flying out of Nanyuan airfield, dropping three bombs over the Forbidden City, which caused the fatality of an eunuch, but otherwise inflicted minor damage.^[12]^[13]

The Warlord Era

Formally established in 1920 as the Aviation Ministry, the ROCAF was active during the tenure of the ROC on Mainland China. In this period, various airplanes were purchased and deployed by warlords in their struggle for power until nominal Chinese reunification in 1928. The ROCAF immediately dispatched combat aircraft to the Hongqiao Aerodrome during the January 28th Incident of 1932, and aerial skirmishes occurred for the first time between China and the Imperial Japanese.^[15] In February 1932, US Reserve Lt. Robert McCawley Short, who was transporting armed Chinese aircraft, shot down an IJN aircraft on February 19, 1932, and downed another on February 22 before he was killed (he was posthumously raised to the rank of colonel in the Chinese Air Service).

The War of Resistance-World War II

During the Second Sino-Japanese War-World War II (1937–1945),^[16] the ROCAF participated in many aerial interceptions and attacks on Japanese army and marine positions, and warships on the eastern front and along the Yangtze river during the Battle of Shanghai in 1937; these battles in the skies over China were the largest air battles fought since the Great War, and featured the first extensively deployed aircraft carrier fleets in launching overseas preemptive strikes in support of expeditionary and occupational forces, and exemplified much of the technological transitioning from the latest biplane fighter designs to the modern monoplane fighter designs on both sides of the conflict.^[17] Although largely a forgotten war and dismissed by Western standards, the significance and impact of the airwar between China and the Empire of Japan cannot be denied; it was the best opportunity for the Western powers to learn about the development and technological prowess of the enemy that would give the West a rude awakening by the end of 1941 when the Empire of Japan expanded into the Pacific.^[18]

The frontline fighter aircraft inventory in China at the beginning of the war included the Curtiss Hawk IIs and Hawk IIIs (including those license-built locally at the CAMCO plant), the Model 281 Peashooter, the Fiat CR.32, with bomber-attack aircraft that included the Curtiss A-12 Shrike, Heinkel He 111 and Northrop Gamma, and engaged the Imperial Japanese forces in many air interdiction strikes, close-air support and major air battles and skirmishes beginning on August 14, 1937, when Imperial Japanese Navy warplanes raided Chienchiao airbase; "814" has thus become known as "Air Force Day". Chinese Boeing P-26/281 fighters engaged Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service Mitsubishi A5M fighters in what is among the world's first aerial dogfighting between all-metal monoplane fighter aircraft. A unique mission in May 1938 saw a pair of Chinese Martin B-10 bombers fly a raid over Japan, but dropping only anti-war leaflets "to raise the conscience of the Japanese people about the bloodshed caused by the imperial warmongers" over the Japanese cities of Nagasaki, Saga, among others,^[19] four years before the 1942 Doolittle Raid on Japanese home islands.

It was a war of attrition for the Chinese pilots, as many of their most experienced ace fighter pilots, such as Lieutenant Liu Tsui-kang [zh] and Colonel Kao Chih-hang, Yue Yiqin, among others, were lost early in the war. Code breaking operations played an important role in the conflict. A Japanese radio intercept unit was attached to the landing forces at Shanghai. IJN Lt. Commander Tsunezo Wachi and a Lt. Yamada, an expert in Chinese codes, enabled Japanese to make preemptive strikes against ROCAF airfields,^[20] while an IJNAF A5M pilot who was shot down by Chinese pilot Luo Yingde (Loh Ying-teh) on 26 September 1937, and other captured Japanese combatants, defected to the Chinese side, and helped the Chinese break Japanese tactical codes and other intelligence data that provided a great intelligence windfall for the newly-established cryptanalyst unit headed by Dr. Chang Chao-hsi.^[21]

As the War of Resistance-WWII raged on after the Fall of Shanghai/Nanking and Taiyuan at the end of 1937, new main battle lines were immediately drawn at the Battle of Wuhan, Battle of Taierzhuang, Battle of Canton, and the ROCAF received its primary support through the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1937, with the majority of the fighter pilots transitioning into the Polikarpov I-15/I-153 and I-16 series of fighter aircraft, forming the primary fighter planes of the ROCAF from 1938 to 1941, and were augmented with the support of the Soviet Volunteer Group, from 1937 to 1939 in return for raw materials.

Following the Japanese invasion of French Indochina, the U.S. enacted an oil and steel embargo and freezing of Japanese assets in August of 1941,^[22] and the R.O.C. was included in the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 which will eventually supercede the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1937.^[23]^[24] As the ROCAF relied on foreign material support, and with the Soviets diverting all resources and energy for the war against Nazi Germany, the ROCAF pilots faced their darkest and most vulnerable period in the years-long Battle of Chonqing-Chengdu in 1941 under the IJAAS/IJNAS Operation 102 joint-strike force terror-bombing campaign,^[25]^[26] however, the Japanese began pulling out their top aviation units in mid-late 1941 in preparations for Operation Z; the planned attack on Pearl Harbor. In the humiliation following the Pearl Harbor attack,^[27] the U.S. immediately arranged with the R.O.C. a counterattack operation which would later become known as the Doolittle Raid and in the latter half of the Sino-Japanese War-World War II, the ROCAF was augmented by a volunteer group of American pilots (the Flying Tigers) whom engaged their first combat action on 20 December 1941, with the primary task of defending "The Hump" supply line.^[28] Throughout the remainder of the war, as the ROCAF transitioned into high-speed and heavily-armed and armored aircraft provided through the Lend-Lease, and began renewed attacks against Japanese air, ground and maritime forces back across the Chinese theatre of operations, the Republic of China government invested in developing an ambitiously innovative swept-forward gull-winged indigenous fighter aircraft design called the XP-1, in hopes to wean-off reliance upon foreign sources, however, the fatal crash of the XP-1 prototype, and the availability of the powerful and versatile P-47 and P-51 fighters had effective ended the ROC's attempt at indigenously-made combat aircraft-industrialization and autonomy in those war years.^[29]

From Civil War/Cold War Era

ROCAF General HQ was established in June 1946. From 1946 to 1948, during the Chinese Civil War, the ROCAF participated in combat against the People's Liberation Army engaging in air-to-air combat on at least eleven occasions in the areas surrounding the Taiwan Strait. The ROCAF reportedly enjoyed a 31:1 kill ratio against the PLA.^{[citation needed]} GHQ was evacuated to Taiwan along with the rest of the ROC Government in April 1949 following the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War.^[30] The ROCAF assisted in halting the PLA advance at the Battle of Kuningtou on Kinmen the same year.

The ROCAF regularly patrolled the Taiwan Straits and fought many engagements with its Communist counterpart - the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). The ROCAF received second hand equipment from the US at that time, such as the North American F-86 Sabre, North American F-100 Super Sabre and the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter.

During the Cold War, the ROCAF was involved in combat air patrols over the Taiwan Strait and engaged the PLAAF and PLAN-AF on several occasions. The ROCAF was also the testbed of American technology at this time. The first successful kill scored by an air-to-air missile was accomplished by a ROCAF F-86 Sabre with then experimental AIM-9 Sidewinder. ROCAF pilots also flew Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance overflights of the PRC during this time with assistance from the USAF. Known as the Black Cat Squadron they flew a total of 220 missions, with 102 missions over mainland China, losing five aircraft. All five were shot down by SA-2 surface-to-air missiles, the same type of surface-to-air missile that shot down Gary Powers over the USSR in 1960. The 34th "Black Bat Squadron" flew low level missions into China as part of its mapping PRC growing air defense networks, conducting ESM and ECM missions, inserting agents behind enemy lines, and air drop resupply missions.

Starting in November 1967, the ROC secretly operated a cargo transport detachment to assist the US and the ROV as part of its participation in the Vietnam War. It was based on existing formation of the 34th squadron of ROC Air force. The unit's strength included two Fairchild C-123 Provider cargo aircraft, seven flight officers and two mechanics, even though a higher number of military personnel was involved through rotation. It was tasked with air transportation, airdrop and electronic reconnaissance.^[31] Some 25 members of the unit were killed, among them 17 pilots and co-pilots, and three aircraft were lost. Other ROC involvement in Vietnam included a secret listening station, special reconnaissance and raiding squads, military advisers and civilian airline operations (which cost a further two aircraft due to Vietnamese individually operated AA missiles).^[32]

From 1979 to 1990 the ROCAF engaged in a classified military aid program in Yemen Arab Republic known as the Great Desert Program (大漠計畫).^[33] The program started after American President Jimmy Carter rushed 14 F-5s to the Yemeni Air Force who had no pilots or ground crew trained to operate the type or even western aircraft (they previously operated Mig-15s). The Americans and the Saudis (who were bankrolling the Yemen Arab Republic's military) requested military aid from Taiwan who provided 80 F-5 pilots, ground crews, early warning radars, and anti-aircraft missile batteries.^[34] All told more than a thousand ROCAF personnel deployed to Yemen.^[33]

The opposing Air Force of South Yemen was made up of Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force pilots and maintainers with some Soviet advisors and pilots as well.^[34] The ROCAF force were actively involved in combat with the Cubans/Soviets and for all intents and purposes constitutes the Yemen Arab Republic's Air Force during this time. Taiwanese pilots scored a number of kills and the air-defense and early warning radar teams took casualties from aerial attacks.^[35] The program ended in 1990 when Saudi Arabia withdrew its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan.^[33]

From democratization

The transition to democracy was difficult for the ROCAF and the Taiwanese military overall. During the martial law period the military was a pillar of totalitarianism and dictatorship and for this reason was mistrusted by the Taiwanese public. Spending and personnel levels fell from the beginning of democratization until the Tsai Ing-wen administration began increasing military spending in 2016. Efforts have been made to enhance the status of the military in the eyes of the public.^[36]

The ROCAF has been under increasing financial and physical pressure due to an increase in PLA Air Force intrusions into Taiwanese airspace and subsequent interception by Taiwanese fighters.^[37]

On November 29 2020 the ROCAF celebrated its 100th birthday. On the event of their 100th birthday Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen commended the “loyal and fearless heroes” of the Air Force and added that "The sound of the roaring engine is our guardian, the voice of democracy and freedom."^[38]

Humanitarian operations

The ROCAF has also taken part in numerous humanitarian operations. Some of the more major ones include the following:

Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, December 2004^[39]^[40]
Haiti earthquake, January 2010^[41]^[42]
Typhoon Haiyan, November 2013^[39]^[43]

ROCAF losses

Caption text
Date (MM/DD/YY)	Unit	Crew	Aircraft	Comments
09/08/1967	35 Squadron	1	U-2	Downed by PLA SAM-2 over Jiaxing
08/22/1967	34 Squadron	5	C-123B	Reported missing over South China Sea
01/13/1967	8 Squadron	1	F-104G	Failed to return after air-to-air combat with PLA J-6

Equipment and procurement

Current ROCAF inventory includes over 400 combat aircraft, the mainstays being the AIDC F-CK-1 Ching-kuo IDF (Indigenous Defense Fighter) and F-16 while the Mirage 2000-5 provides the most formidable air-defense capabilities. Older F-5 fighters are gradually being phased out but remain in service.

The United States serves as the ROCAF's main supplier of equipment and also provides training for ROCAF and ROC Navy pilots at Luke AFB in Arizona. This base which is between Phoenix and Tucson has an instrumented flight area for training approximately the size of the State of Connecticut. German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and German Naval Aviation (Marineflieger) who used to train at Luke AFB from 1957-1983 now train at NATO facilities at CFB Goose Bay in Canada and also alongside the USAF at Holloman AFB in New Mexico. As of 2019 the US Air Force is assisting the Taiwanese Air Force in sourcing new and surplus F-5 parts.^[44]

Domestic development

Prior to 1984, ROCAF fighters were almost exclusively American-made aircraft sold under terms of a mutual defense treaty between the Republic of China and the United States. Development of the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF) began in 1984 due to U.S. refusal to sell F-16s to the ROCAF as a result of changes in national policy between the U.S. and the People's Republic of China. After a successful maiden flight in 1989, the domestically produced fighter entered service in 1994. However, the ROCAF was subsequently able to obtain F-16s from the United States as well as Mirage 2000-5 fighters from France, resulting in delays to later IDF development that had been anticipated.

In response to American refusals to supply "smart bombs", Taiwan is developing their own equivalent of the Joint Direct Attack Munition for attacks against the PRC mainland in case of invasion preparations.^[45]

Taiwan is looking to replace its current fleet of AT-3 jet trainers and F-5 LIFT planes with 66 advanced trainers. In 2008 the Republic of China Air Force released a request for information (RFI) and two companies including Lockheed Martin for the T-50 and Alenia Aermacchi's M-346 responded to the request. These planes were expected to be license produced in Taiwan with a local partner firm, and the overall estimated contract value was 69 billion New Taiwan dollars (US$2.2 billion).^[46] However, after the election of President Tsai Ing-wen, who intends to make Taiwan's defense industry a cornerstone for future development, it was decided to domestically design and build 66 AIDC T-5 Brave Eagle supersonic trainers instead of selecting the T-50 or M-346. The T-5, with a program cost of NT$68.6 billion, will be a new aircraft whose design will draw upon Taiwan's expertise gained by building the domestically produced Indigenous Defense Fighter.^[47]

In 2019 the Taiwan Air Force's Air Defense and Missile Command announced a five-year, NT$80b (US$2.54b) project to build up a full force of anti-radiation UAVs made by NCSIST.^[48]

Foreign procurement

One of the first modern jets purchased was the Northrop F-5. In 1974 a total of 308 were purchased but, lacking spare parts, the ROC has been forced to salvage them from inoperable F-5s.^[49] Taiwan is considering reusing engines from inoperable F-5s in cruise missiles.^[50]

The Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC), previously known as Aero Industry Development Center, was founded in 1969 under the authority of the Republic of China Air Force to locally produce spares and military aircraft. It was transferred to Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST) in 1983. By 1973 AIDC had built 242 F-5Es and 66 F-5Fs under license.

On February 28, 2007, the US Defense Department approved an order made by the ROC for 218 AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM missiles, as well as 235 AGM-65G2 Maverick missiles, associated launchers and other equipment. The total value of this order was revealed to be US$421 million.^[51]

In June 2007, the Legislative Yuan also approved the upgrade of the existing PAC-2 batteries to PAC-3 standard, and, in November, the Pentagon notified the U.S. Congress of the Patriot upgrade order.^[52] On August 10, 2007, a shipment of Harpoon anti-ship missiles, valued at an estimated $125 million, was also authorised by the U.S. Defense Department, including 60 AGM-84L Block II missiles and 50 upgrade kits to bring the ROCAF's existing Harpoons up to Block II, Mark L standard.^[53]

On October 3, 2008, arms notifications were sent to Congress concerning, amongst other things, the sale of 330 PAC III missiles, 4 missile batteries, radar sets, ground stations and other equipment valued up to US$3.1 billion, the upgrade of 4 E-2T aircraft to the Hawkeye 2000 standard and US$334 million worth of spare parts for the ROCAF's F-16s, IDFs, F-5E/Fs and C-130s.^[54] Late in January 2010, ROCAF received the first batch of new TC-2(V) BVR missiles ordered from CSIST, believed to have new radar seeker and improved performance from the original missile which entered service over 10 years ago.^[55] The U.S. government also announced 5 notifications to Congress for additional arms sales totaling some US$6.39 Billion, under which the ROCAF will receive 3 PAC-3 batteries with 26 launchers and 114 PAC-3 missiles.^[56] On February 3, 2010, ROCAF also announced at a Singapore Airshow that it had signed a new contract for 3 EC-225 SAR (Search-And-Rescue) helicopters that was awarded to Eurocopter back in December 2009 for US$111 million, along with options for 17 more EC-225s.^[57]^[58] On November 26, 2011, the 3 EC-225 C-SAR helicopters were loaded on board an An-124 cargo aircraft and delivered to Chai-yi AB in Taiwan, and should enter service on July 1, 2012.^[59]

On August 31, 2010, it was announced for next year's defense budget, ROCAF's "Medium Transport aircraft" plan to replace 12 B-1900 VIP/transport training aircraft, believed to be 6-8+ Lockheed C-27J, has been put on hold and might be axed, due to lack of budget, but will allocate 20+ million US dollars over next 4 years for quick runway repair.^[60] Other items mentioned including increases in runways from 3 to 6 at Eastern Taiwan's 3 airbases, moving 2 I-HAWK batteries to Eastern Taiwan to protect those airbases, which will double to 4 batteries, and others.^[61] On November 8, 2011, a second pair of E-2T Hawkeye AEW(s/n 2501 and 2502) were loaded on a ship and sent to the US for upgrade to the E-2C 2000 standard. The first pair of E-2T (s/n 2503 and 2504) were sent to the US in June 2010 and returned to Taiwan on December 18, 2011, and will be return to service by end of the year.^[62]^[63]

On August 15, 2011, the United States again deferred the ROCAF request to purchase 66 new F-16C/Ds but offered a retrofit package for older F-16A/B's.^[64] (originally 150 were brought in 1992)^[65] However, the US allowed the F-16A/Bs to be upgraded to the AN/APG-83 radar.^[66] Unfortunately, it was discovered the F-16A/Bs have rusting issues during the F-16V upgrade due to aging and Taiwan's climate.^[67] The $5.3 billion upgrade package for ROCAF's existing F-16A/B fighters was announced on 21 September 2011.^[61] The upgrade budget was to be spread over 12 years, though the Ministry of Defense indicated that it would try to reduce the period.^[68] In November 2011, the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission recommended that new fighters be sold to the ROCAF.^[69] Taiwan is also balking at the cost of the radar upgrade, as it does not want to be the lead customer who pays to develop the upgrade and also because they will be unable to afford both the upgrade and the new fighters, should these be offered.^[70] In response to a U.S. vote in the House of Representatives to force the sale of the C/D models, the ROC MND said that the upgrade package offered some superior capabilities over the C/D model aircraft and some defense officials have said that in light of the PRC's increasing capabilities, only the F-35 would be sufficient.^[71]

In July 2012, Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. and Lockheed Martin announced plans to establish a maintenance and overhaul center to upgrade and maintain the F-16s in place without having to ship them back to the United States.^[72] In 2012 a letter of acceptance was agreed on for a US$3.8 billion deal that included the radars, electronic warfare, structural improvements and new weapons.^[73]^[74] A Pentagon report has corroborated that claim, asserting that the PRC would probably seek to destroy ROCAF airfields in the first stages of any attack, making a STOVL fighter such as the F-35B vital for effective defense.^[75]

On April 10, 2019, Air Force Chief of Staff Liu Jen-yuan confirmed that the Air Force is asking for a total of new-built 66 F-16V fighter jets from the U.S. to replace its aging and nearly obsolete F-5 fighters.^[76] Previous presidents after George H.W. Bush refused to sell F-16 fighters to the ROC Airforce, including George W. Bush in 2006 after a ROC request for F-16C/Ds.^[77]

President Barack Obama also refused Taiwan's request for new F-16s in 2011. The Obama administration later allowed the ROC Airforce to upgrade its current F-16s though the upgrades did not start until 2017 and first upgraded aircraft were only delivered in 2018 during the Trump administration.^[78]^[79]^[80]

On August 20, 2019, the sale of F-16 C/D Block 70, also known as F-16V, was officially approved by the State Department and formally submitted to Congress.^[81] The 66 newly built F-16s will be supplied with 75 General Electric F110 engines and 75 AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam AESA radars.^[82] The final signing of the Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LOA) for the purchase of 66 F-16V fighter jets was confirmed on December 21, 2019.^[83]

Hardened bases and survivability

Taiwan faces the threat of Chinese missile strike on its airfields. PLA accurate ballistic missiles and cruise missiles can damage or destroy airfields and aircraft on the ground. Taiwan has hardened key Air Force facilities and built redundancies into critical infrastructure so that it could absorb and survive a long-range missile precision attack.^[84]

Taiwan Air Force built at least 400 protected revetments in its 9 bases, approximately half of them covered. Underground hangars were built at Chiashan Air Force Base in Hualien that reportedly can protect over half of Taiwan’s tactical fighter aircraft. Other underground shelters exist at Chihhang Air Base and perhaps elsewhere. But missiles can target the runways with warheads designed to crater them and so prevent Taiwan’s aircraft from taking off.^[84]

Taiwan regularly practices dispersing its aircraft from the more vulnerable West coast bases to the East coast. Units are also moved between bases to make it more difficult to know where they might be at any given time. Dummy aircraft are parked on bases and inside shelters to confuse Chinese intelligence. Besides this Taiwan maintains emergency highway strips where planes can land, refuel, rearm and take off in the event that bases are out of service. Each Taiwanese airbase has an engineering unit attached for rapidly repairing runways.^[84]

Taiwan is working to provide additional layers of defenses around military airfields against cruise missiles, antiradiation missiles and small drones, as well as potentially larger threats, such as helicopters and low-flying aircraft. Ground version of Sea Oryx SAM and Phalanx CIWS are being developed and deployed to improve air defense.^[85]

One of the primary methods of surviving in case of war will be deception and the use of decoy targets. This applies to decoy planes, SAM launchers, radars, etc. Decoys makes use of Taiwan’s geographic advantages, especially its mountainous and urban terrain which complicate enemy targeting and kill chain completion.^[86]

Rank and rating insignia

Officers

Rank group	General/Flag/Air officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Republic of China Air Force^[87] v t e
Republic of China Air Force^[87] v t e			一級上將 It-kip siōng-chiòng	二級上將 Jī-kip siōng-chiòng	中將 Tiong-chiòng		少將 Siáu-chiòng				上校 Siōng-hāu		中校 Tiong-hāu		少校 Siáu-hāu		上尉 Siōng-ùi		中尉 Tiong-ùi			少尉 Siáu-ùi

Enlisted

Rank group	Senior NCOs																						Junior NCOs						Enlisted
Republic of China Air Force^[87] v t e
Republic of China Air Force^[87] v t e	一等士官長 Yīděng shìguānzhǎng						二等士官長 Èrděng shìguānzhǎng		三等士官長 Sānděng shìguānzhǎng		上士 Shàngshì						中士 Zhōngshì						下士 Xiàshì				上等兵 Shàngděngbīng		一等兵 Yīděngbīng						二等兵 Èrděngbīng

Current inventory

Aircraft

Aircraft	Origin	Type	Variant	In service	Notes
Combat Aircraft
Northrop F-5	United States	fighter / reconnaissance	F-5E/RF-5E	25^[88]	Being Phased out^[89]
AIDC F-CK-1	Taiwan	fighter	F-CK-1C	103^[88]	upgraded from 1A to 1C variant^[90]
Dassault Mirage 2000	France	multirole	2000-5Ei	46^[88]
F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	multirole	F-16A/AM Block 20	114^[91]	66 C/D Block 70 variants on order; remainder being upgraded to V standard (C/D Block 70 model equivalent)^[92]^[93] Internal ROCAF designation is F-16AM.^[94]
AEW
Grumman E-2 Hawkeye	United States	early warning and control	E-2K	6^[88]
Maritime Patrol
Lockheed P-3 Orion	United States	ASW-maritime patrol	P-3C	12^[88]
Reconnaissance
Beech 1900	United States	surveillance / reconnaissance		2^[95]	also provides multi engine training
Transport
Boeing 737	United States	VIP		1^[95]	presidential aircraft
Fokker 50	Netherlands	VIP		1^[95]
Lockheed C-130 Hercules	United States	transport	C-130H	20^[88]	one aircraft is assigned ELINT duty
Helicopters
Eurocopter EC225	France	SAR / utility		3^[88]
Sikorsky S-70	United States	SAR / utility	S-70C-1A/M	10^[88]
Trainer Aircraft
AIDC AT-3	Taiwan	jet trainer		48^[88]
Northrop F-5	United States	conversion trainer	F-5F	31^[88]	being phased out^[96]
F-16 Fighting Falcon	United States	fighter / conversion trainer	F-16B/BM Block 20	27^[88]	being upgraded to the F-16V with the AN/APG-83 radar^[66]^[97] Internal ROCAF designation is F-16BM.^[94]
AIDC F-CK-1	Taiwan	fighter / conversion trainer	F-CK-1D	26^[88]	upgraded from 1B to 1D variant^[90]
Dassault Mirage 2000	France	conversion trainer	2000-5Di	9^[88]
Beechcraft T-34 Mentor	United States	basic trainer		37^[88]

Armament

AIM-120A AMRAAM

Name	Origin	Type	Notes
Air-to-air missile
AIM-120C AMRAAM	United States	beyond-visual-range	636 missiles obtained^[98]^[99]
AIM-7 Sparrow	United States	medium-range	1,200 AIM-7Ms obtained^[99]
MBDA MICA	France	medium-range	960 missiles obtained^[99]
AIM-9 Sidewinder	United States	short-range	(200) AIM-9Bs - (2,216) 9J/Ps - (1092) 9L/Ms - (40) AIM-9X^[99]
Sky Sword I	Taiwan	short-range	Serial production began in 1991.^[100]
Sky Sword II	Taiwan	beyond-visual-range	At least 200 TC-2, unknown number TC-2C.^[101]
Magic II	France	short-range	480 missiles obtained^[99]
Air-to-surface missile
AGM-65 Maverick	United States	Air-to-surface missile	(500) AGM-65s – (40) 65Gs – (235) 65G2s^[99]
Wan Chien	Taiwan	Air-to-surface cruise missile	>100 missiles produced^[102]^[103]
TC-2A	Taiwan	Anti-radiation missile	variant of TC-2^[104]
AGM-88 HARM	United States	Anti-radiation missile	50 AGM-88B obtained^[105]
Anti-ship missile
AGM-84 Harpoon	United States	anti-ship missile	(183) AGM-84s – (60) 84Ls^[99]
Hsiung Feng II^[106]	Taiwan	anti-ship missile
Bombs
AGM-154 JSOW	United States	Glide bomb	56^[107]
Paveway	United States	Laser-guided bomb	50^[99]
Sensor pods
Sniper Targeting Pod	United States	Targeting Pod	20 AAQ-33s obtained^[99]
LANTIRN	United States	Targeting Pod	(28) AN/AAQ-19, (28) AAQ-20^[99]

Air Defense

Name	Origin	Type	In service	Notes
SAM
Patriot	United States	SAM system	7	receiving upgrade to PAC-3.^[108] 264 additional PAC-3 interceptors delivered in 2011, 122 PAC-3 interceptors delivered in 2015.^[99]
Sky Bow	Taiwan	SAM system	6	Sky Bow I replaced by the Sky Bow III missiles in 2015
MIM-23 HAWK	United States	SAM system	19^[99]
Anti-aircraft artillery
Skyguard	Switzerland	towed anti-aircraft gun	24	twin gun, 35mm rounds
RIM-7 Sea Sparrow	United States	SAM system	500	used on towed launcher as part of the Skyguard System^[109]
Sensors (independent of SAM batteries)
AN/FPS-117	United States	Fixed Long-Range Radar System	7^[110]	Primary battlespace management radar^[111] Acquired in 2002.^[110]
AN/TPS-117	United States	Mobile Long-Range Radar System	4^[110]	Acquired in 2002.^[110]
PAVE PAWS	United States	Early warning radar system	1

ROCAF Squadron emblems

"Black Bat". 34th Squadron
"Black Cat". 35th Squadron
"Leo Gazer". 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron

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^ ^a ^b "當年金門空戰8:0大勝共軍國軍響尾蛇飛彈再進化！". 時事話題 (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-12-09.
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@@ Line 149: / Line 149: @@
 |}
-==History==
 {{main|List of aircraft used in China before 1937|Development of Chinese Nationalist air force (1937–1945)}}
+[[File:Gao Zhihang.jpg|thumb|right|Air Force martyr of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Second Sino-Japanese War/WWII]], fighter pilot Colonel [[Kao Chih-hang]], who represented an epitome of fighter pilot skills and fatalistic courage.<ref>徐 (Xú), 2016, pp. 354-355. 高烈士志航~冯烈士幹卿 ~ After receiving the new I-16 fighters from the Russians in Lanzhou, Colonel Gao was leading his group along with Russian personnel back to the critical situation at Nanjing... at a refueling stop at Zhoujiakou Airbase, a suddenly attack by a well-planned Japanese raid, caught the Chinese pilots and ground crew with their new fighters on the ground... Colonel Gao did not take cover, and decided to engage the Japanese air raid, but the bombs were falling and the Japanese machine guns strafing... and his I-16 engine failing to start, Gao and his crew chief Feng Qianqing were killed by a Japanese bomb exploding nearby</ref>]]
-[[File:Gao Zhihang.jpg|thumb|right|Air Force hero killed during the [[Second Sino-Japanese War|Second Sino-Japanese War/WWII]], fighter pilot Colonel [[Kao Chih-hang]] ]]
 ===Post-imperial China===
-The [[Qing Dynasty]] had established aircraft operations at the [[Beijing Nanyuan Airport|Beijing Nanyuan airfield]] in 1909, just before the abolishment of their rule following the [[1911 Revolution|Double Ten Revolution]] in 1911, and became the airbase to where the early beginnings of the Republic of China Air Force took shape. In July of 1917, Qing loyalist general [[Zhang Xun]] led the [[Manchu Restoration]], and then-[[Premier of the Republic of China|Premier of the Republic]] [[Duan Qirui]] ordered the bombing of the [[Forbidden City]]; the mission was carried out in a [[Caudron Type D]] aircraft piloted by Pan Shizhong (潘世忠) and bombardier Du Yuyuan (杜裕源) flying out of Nanyuan airfield, dropping three bombs over the Forbidden City, which caused the fatality of an eunuch, but otherwise inflicted minor damage.{{Cn}
+The [[Qing Dynasty]] had established aircraft operations at the [[Beijing Nanyuan Airport|Beijing Nanyuan airfield]] in 1909, just before the abolishment of their rule following the [[1911 Revolution|Double Ten Revolution]] in 1911, and became the airbase to where the early beginnings of the Republic of China Air Force took shape. Aircraft in Chinese service were first recorded to have been deployed in military operations under post-Qing leader [[Yuan Shikai]]'s [[Beiyang government]], with reconnaissance and bombing drops during the [[Bai Lang Rebellion|Bailang Rebellion of 1913-14]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=宇翔盛泰航空产业有限公司-宇翔盛泰航空产业有限公司|url=http://www.yxst-aviation.com/about.php?cat_id=1477|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-23|website=宇翔盛泰|quote=1913年9月 - 1913年冬, 北洋政府征讨蒙古叛军, 南苑航空学校派人驾驶飞机随军助战, 对叛军实施了(-), 这是中国首次将飞机运用于实战.
+A. 空中扫射  B. 空中侦察  C. 空投传单
+. 中国第一个经政府批准在国外学习飞行的留学生是(-).
+A. 厉汝燕   B. 潘世忠   C. 秦国镛
+. 1923年7月. "乐士文"号飞机在广州大沙头机场试飞成功后，孙中山为鼓励和倡导中国制造飞机, 题写了(-) 四个字.
+A. 航空建国  B. 航空卫国  C. 航空救国}}</ref> In July of 1917, Qing loyalist general [[Zhang Xun]] led the [[Manchu Restoration]], and then-[[Premier of the Republic of China|Premier of the Republic]] [[Duan Qirui]] ordered the bombing of the [[Forbidden City]]; the mission was carried out in a [[Caudron Type D]] aircraft piloted by Pan Shizhong (潘世忠) and bombardier Du Yuyuan (杜裕源) flying out of Nanyuan airfield, dropping three bombs over the Forbidden City, which caused the fatality of an eunuch, but otherwise inflicted minor damage.<ref>{{Cite web|last=历史老斯|date=2019-12-28|title=段祺瑞轰炸故宫，让溥仪成为中国历史上唯一挨过轰炸的皇帝_张勋|url=http://www.sohu.com/a/363336978_120497496|access-date=2020-12-03|website=搜狐 www.sohu.com|language=en|quote=段祺瑞下令叫南苑航空学校出动一架飞机去轰炸紫禁城。南苑航空学校并无正式的轰炸机，不过既然段祺瑞只是希望吓唬一下溥仪和张勋，要求不高，所以最后派了一架高德隆双翼飞机去执行轰炸任务。飞机由教官潘世忠驾驶，而投弹员则是杜裕源，据杜裕源回忆，因为没有瞄准设备，因此在紫禁城他是随意投下了3枚小炸弹，并没有针对特定目标。投下的炸弹中一枚还是哑弹，一共只炸死了一个太监，此外部分建筑物受到了一点小损伤。}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=吴婷婷 裴剑飞 浦峰|first=编辑 张畅|title=新京报 - 好新闻，无止境|url=http://www.bjnews.com.cn/news/2019/09/25/629668.html|access-date=2020-12-03|website=www.bjnews.com.cn|quote=1907年7月，清政府在南苑镇庑殿毅军操场修建了供飞机起降的简易跑道，这是中国近代历史上的第一个机场，南苑机场由此得名。1913年，北洋政府在南苑机场建立了第一所航校，至1928年停办，学校共培养了150多名飞行员。}}</ref> [[File:Caudron G.3 in Chinese service.jpg|thumb|220px|Pre-ROCAF: a Chinese [[Caudron G.3]] trainer with floats and the markings of the [[Beiyang Army]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=每日头条|first=|date=2016-10-26|title=空襲紫禁城的法國飛機——高德隆G.Ⅲ - 每日頭條|url=https://kknews.cc/history/l88oxvz.amp|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-23|website=kknews.cc|quote=在正式加入南苑航校後，這批法國飛機保留了尾桁機架的木質本色，機尾則塗上了黑紅黃藍白五色星徽。中國G.Ⅲ的首次升空作戰是在1914年春，目標是一支農民起義軍——活躍在豫、鄂、皖邊境的由白朗領導的「公民討賊軍」。在此過程中，4架高德隆G.Ⅲ配合行動，多次實施了偵察飛行——其時一戰尚未爆發，法軍的G.Ⅲ還未接受戰火檢驗。同年8月，白朗中彈身亡；高德隆飛機，成了袁政府手中的一種「兇器」}}</ref>]]
-=== Before Civil War===
+=== The Warlord Era===
+{{Further|List of aircraft used in China before 1937}}
-Formally established in 1920 as the Aviation Ministry, the ROCAF was active during the tenure of the ROC on [[Mainland China]]. In this [[Warlord era|period]], various airplanes were purchased and [[List of aircraft used in China before 1937|deployed by warlords]] in their struggle for power until nominal [[Chinese reunification (1928)|Chinese reunification]] in 1928. The ROCAF immediately dispatched combat aircraft to the Hongqiao Aerodrome during the [[January 28 incident|January 28th Incident]] of 1932, and aerial skirmishes occurred for the first time between China and the Imperial Japanese. In February 1932, US Reserve Lt. [[Robert McCawley Short]], who was transporting armed Chinese aircraft, shot down an IJN aircraft on February 19, 1932, and downed another on February 22 before he was killed (he was posthumously raised to the rank of colonel in the Chinese Air Service).{{Cn|date=January 2021}}
+Formally established in 1920 as the Aviation Ministry, the ROCAF was active during the tenure of the ROC on [[Mainland China]]. In this [[Warlord era|period]], various airplanes were purchased and [[List of aircraft used in China before 1937|deployed by warlords]] in their struggle for power until nominal [[Chinese reunification (1928)|Chinese reunification]] in 1928. The ROCAF immediately dispatched combat aircraft to the [[Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport|Hongqiao Aerodrome]] during the [[January 28 incident|January 28th Incident]] of 1932, and aerial skirmishes occurred for the first time between China and the Imperial Japanese.<ref>{{Cite web|last=航空知识|first=|date=2020-09-03|title=从陈应明航空画中忆英雄风采！抗战胜利75周年，我们从未忘记_媒体_澎湃新闻-The Paper|url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_9024518|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-02|website=www.thepaper.cn|quote=容克斯K-47首战上海 - 1932年“1·28”事变爆发后，中国派出9架各型军机调往上海虹桥机场增援，并与当日与日本发生空战，但战斗双方都无损失. 2月26日集中在杭州附近乔司机场待命的我国25架战机突遭日军“中岛”3式战斗机和“中岛”13式攻击机组成的15机编队偷袭，第2队队长石邦藩、射击手沈延世驾驶P-7号容克斯K-47双座战斗机率先起飞应敌，淞沪之战以来最激烈的一场空战由此展开.}}</ref> In February 1932, US Reserve Lt. [[Robert McCawley Short]], who was transporting armed Chinese aircraft, shot down an IJN aircraft on February 19, 1932, and downed another on February 22 before he was killed (he was posthumously raised to the rank of colonel in the Chinese Air Service).
+=== The War of Resistance-World War II ===
-During the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] (1937–1945), the ROCAF participated in attacks on Japanese warships on the eastern front and along the Yangtze river including support for the [[Battle of Shanghai]] in 1937. The Chinese frontline fighter aircraft were initially mainly the [[Curtiss F11C Goshawk|Curtiss Hawk II]]s and [[Curtiss BF2C Goshawk|Hawk III]]s (including those license-built locally at the [[Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company|CAMCO]] plant) and the [[Boeing P-26]] model 281, and engaged Japanese fighters in many major air battles beginning on August 14, 1937, when Imperial Japanese Navy warplanes raided [[Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport|Chienchiao airbase]]; "814" has thus become known as "Air Force Day". Chinese Boeing P-26/281 fighters engaged Japanese Mitsubishi A5M fighters in what is among the world's first aerial dogfighting between all-metal monoplane fighter aircraft. A unique mission in May 1938 saw two Chinese [[Martin B-10|B-10]] bombers fly a mission over Japan, but dropping only propaganda leaflets over the Japanese cities of [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]] and [[Saga Prefecture|Saga]], four years before 1942 [[Doolittle Raid]] on Japanese home islands. It was a war of attrition for the Chinese pilots, as many of their most experienced ace fighter pilots, such as Lieutenant {{ill|Liu Tsui-kang|zh|劉粹剛}} and Colonel [[Kao Chih-hang]] were lost early in the war. Code breaking operations played a role in the conflict. A Japanese radio intercept unit was attached to the landing forces at Shanghai. IJN Lt. Commander Tsunezo Wachi and a Lt. Yamada, an expert in Chinese codes, enabled Japanese to make preemptive strikes against ROCAF airfields.<ref>{{cite book|last1=RADM. Layton USN|first1=Edwin T.|last2=Pineau|first2=with Roger|last3=Costello|first3=John|title="And I was there" : Pearl Harbor and Midway--breaking the secrets|url=https://archive.org/details/andiwastherepear00laytrich|url-access=registration|date=1985|publisher=W. Morrow|location=New York|isbn=0-688-04883-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/andiwastherepear00laytrich/page/47 47]|edition=1st}}</ref>
+{{seealso|Development of Chinese Nationalist air force (1937–1945)}}
+During the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]-[[World War II]] (1937–1945),<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sun, Vlasova, Harmsen|first=Lianggang, Evgenia, Peter|date=|title=Shanghai 1937 – Where World War II Began|url=http://www.shanghai1937.tv/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-15|website=SHANGHAI 1937: WHERE WORLD WAR II BEGAN|language=en-US|quote=<!-- When did World War II begin? Shanghai 1937: Where World War II Began answers that question in a way most audiences will find surprising. Americans might say December 7, 1941… The day the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. For Europeans, it was September 1, 1939… When Nazi Germany invaded Poland. But in China, people will tell you a different date. August 13, 1937.-->}}</ref> the ROCAF participated in many aerial interceptions and attacks on Japanese army and marine positions, and warships on the eastern front and along the Yangtze river during the [[Battle of Shanghai]] in 1937; these battles in the skies over China were the largest air battles fought since the [[World War I|Great War]], and featured the first extensively deployed aircraft carrier fleets in launching overseas preemptive strikes in support of expeditionary and occupational forces, and exemplified much of the technological transitioning from the latest biplane fighter designs to the modern monoplane fighter designs on both sides of the conflict.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Matt|first=P. E.|date=2015-02-07|title=The Shanghai Incident, 1932|url=https://pacificeagles.net/shanghai-incident-1932/|access-date=2021-01-04|website=Pacific Eagles|language=en-US|quote=The Shanghai Incident set the stage for the Second Sino-Japanese (war) which was to break out 5 years later. It involved the first prolonged use of aircraft carriers during a continental conflict, and demonstrated their usefulness in supporting expeditionary forces ashore – which would prove key during the wider Pacific War a decade later. It also featured one of the largest air conflicts since the Great War... Of particular concern to the Japanese during the conflict was the poor performance of her fighter aircraft.}}</ref> Although largely a forgotten war and dismissed by Western standards, the significance and impact of the airwar between China and the Empire of Japan cannot be denied; it was the best opportunity for the Western powers to learn about the development and technological prowess of the enemy that would give the West a rude awakening by the end of 1941 when the [[Empire of Japan]] expanded into the Pacific.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hui|first=Samuel|title=Chinese Air Force vs. the Empire of Japan|url=https://www.warbirdforum.com/cafhist.htm|access-date=2021-01-04|website=www.warbirdforum.com|quote=Although the air battles between the Chinese and Japanese pilots above the sky of China from 1937 to 1941 was considered by Westerners a forgotten war, it was still too important for the people to deny. For the Japanese pilots, those were their first chance to earn experiences about fighting other pilots in the air. As for the Chinese pilots, those were absolutely deadly struggles for them to protect their motherland from the invaders.}}</ref>
+The frontline fighter aircraft inventory in China at the beginning of the war included the [[Curtiss F11C Goshawk|Curtiss Hawk II]]s and [[Curtiss BF2C Goshawk|Hawk III]]s (including those license-built locally at the [[Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company|CAMCO]] plant), the [[Boeing P-26|Model 281 ''Peashooter'']], the [[Fiat CR.32]], with bomber-attack aircraft that included the [[Curtiss A-12 Shrike]], [[Heinkel He 111]] and [[Northrop Gamma]], and engaged the Imperial Japanese forces in many [[air interdiction]] strikes, [[Close air support|close-air support]] and major air battles and skirmishes beginning on August 14, 1937, when Imperial Japanese Navy warplanes raided [[Hangzhou Jianqiao Airport|Chienchiao airbase]]; "814" has thus become known as "Air Force Day". Chinese Boeing P-26/281 fighters engaged [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]] [[Mitsubishi A5M]] fighters in what is among the world's first aerial dogfighting between all-metal monoplane fighter aircraft. A unique mission in May 1938 saw a pair of Chinese [[Martin B-10]] bombers fly a raid over Japan, but dropping only anti-war leaflets "to raise the conscience of the Japanese people about the bloodshed caused by the imperial warmongers" over the Japanese cities of [[Nagasaki, Nagasaki|Nagasaki]], [[Saga Prefecture|Saga]], among others,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dunn|first=Richard L.|date=2006|title=Illusive Target: Bombing Japan from China|url=https://www.warbirdforum.com/elusive.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-15|website=www.warbirdforum.com|quote=<!-- The leaflets told of Japanese atrocities committed against Chinese civilians and solicited moral solidarity from the Japanese people... In the Japanese version of events, the leaflets were described as violently anti-Japanese in content. Despite Chinese assertions that they dropped leaflets in lieu of bombs for humanitarian reasons, pundits suggested the Chinese had to carry extra gasoline on such a long mission and this precluded carrying bombs. The mission profile related above... suggests the Chinese could have carried bombs rather than the gasoline necessary to cruise over Japan and drop leaflets on several cities.-->}}</ref> four years before the 1942 ''[[Doolittle Raid]]'' on Japanese home islands.
-As the War of Resistance raged on after the Fall of Shanghai/Nanking and Taiyuan at the end of 1937, new main battle lines were immediately drawn at the Battle of Wuhan, Battle of Taierzhuang, Battle of Canton, and the ROCAF received its primary support through the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1937, along with the support of the [[Soviet Volunteer Group]], from 1937 to 1939 in return for raw materials.
+It was a war of attrition for the Chinese pilots, as many of their most experienced ace fighter pilots, such as Lieutenant {{ill|Liu Tsui-kang|zh|劉粹剛}} and Colonel [[Kao Chih-hang]], [[Yue Yiqin]], among others, were lost early in the war. Code breaking operations played an important role in the conflict. A Japanese radio intercept unit was attached to the landing forces at Shanghai. IJN Lt. Commander Tsunezo Wachi and a Lt. Yamada, an expert in Chinese codes, enabled Japanese to make preemptive strikes against ROCAF airfields,<ref>{{cite book|last1=RADM. Layton USN|first1=Edwin T.|last2=Pineau|first2=with Roger|last3=Costello|first3=John|title="And I was there" : Pearl Harbor and Midway--breaking the secrets|url=https://archive.org/details/andiwastherepear00laytrich|url-access=registration|date=1985|publisher=W. Morrow|location=New York|isbn=0-688-04883-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/andiwastherepear00laytrich/page/47 47]|edition=1st}}</ref> while an IJNAF A5M pilot who was shot down by Chinese pilot Luo Yingde (Loh Ying-teh) on 26 September 1937, and other captured Japanese combatants, defected to the Chinese side, and helped the Chinese break Japanese tactical codes and other intelligence data that provided a great intelligence windfall for the newly-established cryptanalyst unit headed by Dr. Chang Chao-hsi.<ref>Cheung, 2015, p. 30. <!-- 'A Japanese aviator taken prisoner in 1937' read the caption that accompanied this photograph in a Chinese newspaper in September 1937. Comparison with Japanese photographs reveals similarities between this individual and Lt Shichiro Yamashita, who was shot down near Nanking by Loh, Ying-teh on 26 September... it was kept a secret for 30 years after Loh convinced Yamashita to support the Chinese cause by helping to break IJNAF tactical codes and interpret intelligence. This defection was one of the untold secrets of the Sino-Japanese War... it was a huge intelligence windfall... especially for the newly-established cryptanalyst unit headed by Dr. Chang Chao-hsi.--></ref>
-Following the [[Japanese invasion of French Indochina]], the U.S. enacted an [[Oil embargo|oil and steel embargo]] against Japan in August of 1941, and China was included in the [[Lend-Lease|Lend-Lease Act]] which superceded the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1937. As the [[Bombing of Chongqing|Battle of Chonqing-Chengdu]] continued into 1941 with ''Operating 102’’, the Japanese began preparations for [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|''Operation Z'']]; the attack plan on Pearl Harbor. In the latter half of the Sino-Japanese War.
+As the War of Resistance-WWII raged on after the Fall of Shanghai/[[Nanjing Massacre|Nanking]] and [[Battle of Taiyuan|Taiyuan]] at the end of 1937, new main battle lines were immediately drawn at the [[Battle of Wuhan]], [[Battle of Taierzhuang]], [[Canton Operation|Battle of Canton]], and the ROCAF received its primary support through the [[Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact]] of 1937, with the majority of the fighter pilots transitioning into the [[Polikarpov I-15]]/[[Polikarpov I-153|I-153]] and [[Polikarpov I-16|I-16]] series of fighter aircraft, forming the primary fighter planes of the ROCAF from 1938 to 1941, and were augmented with the support of the [[Soviet Volunteer Group]], from 1937 to 1939 in return for raw materials.
-[[World War II]], the ROCAF was augmented by a volunteer group of American pilots (the [[Flying Tigers|Flying Tigers whom fought their first combat engagement on 20 December 1941]]41.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rossi |first=J.R. |url=http://www.flyingtigersavg.22web.org/tiger1.htm |title=History: The Flying Tigers - American Volunteer Group - Chinese Air Force |access-date=2012-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722181853/http://www.flyingtigersavg.22web.org/tiger1.htm |archive-date=2013-07-22 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Better source|date=January 2021}} Throughout the remainder of the war, the ROCAF was involved in attacks on Japanese air and ground forces across the Chinese theatre.
+Following the [[Japanese invasion of French Indochina]], the U.S. enacted an [[Oil embargo|oil and steel embargo]] and freezing of Japanese assets in August of 1941,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Anderson|first=Irvine H.|date=1975|title=The 1941 De Facto Embargo on Oil to Japan: A Bureaucratic Reflex|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3638003|journal=Pacific Historical Review|volume=44|issue=2|pages=201–231|doi=10.2307/3638003|issn=0030-8684|via=JSTOR}}</ref> and the R.O.C. was included in the [[Lend-Lease|Lend-Lease Act]] of 1941 which will eventually supercede the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of 1937.<ref>{{Cite web|last=小超历史记|first=|date=2020-10-11|title=【一点资讯】《租借法案》——傲慢与偏见，中国人的悲哀 www.yidianzixun.com|url=http://www.yidianzixun.com/article/0RJ2kEKo|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-12-13|website=www.yidianzixun.com|quote=<!-- 国民政府与美国人的关系则是另外一个样子。包括蒋介石在内，国民政府的大员们认为，在中国遭受日本入侵后，列强一直袖手旁观，甚至助纣为虐。尽管中国政府多次向国际社会发出呼吁，列强始终冷眼旁观。中国的抗战迄今为止都是孤独的，这种孤独让贫弱的中国为抗击日本的侵略付出了惨重代价。鉴于意识形态上的分歧，蒋介石对苏联在中国抗战初期的支援存有巨大戒心。他指望的是美国，但美国人的绥靖政策令他愤怒却又无奈。-->}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia: Lend-Lease|url=http://pwencycl.kgbudge.com/L/e/Lend-Lease.htm#:~:text=Lend-Lease%20in%20the%20Pacific,to%20Commonwealth%20nations%20and%20Russia.&text=A%20total%20of%20110,864%20tons,to%20China%20by%20April%201942.|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-08|website=pwencycl.kgbudge.com|quote=<!-- Churchill said, "The Lend-Lease Bill must be regarded without question as the most unsordid act in the whole of recorded history."  This was a bit generous. The original intent of Lend-Lease, as understood by Congress and the public, was to avoid shedding the blood of American soldiers by enabling others to fight more effectively... Roosevelt extended Lend-Lease to China on 6 May 1941, and thereafter China received considerable Lend-Lease assistance ($846 million), though this was dwarfed by that given to Commonwealth nations and Russia.-->}}</ref> As the ROCAF relied on foreign material support, and with the Soviets diverting all resources and energy for the [[Great Patriotic War (term)|war against Nazi Germany]], the ROCAF pilots faced their darkest and most vulnerable period in the years-long [[Bombing of Chongqing|Battle of Chonqing-Chengdu]] in 1941 under the [[Imperial Japanese Army Air Service|IJAAS]]/IJNAS ''Operation 102'' joint-strike force [[Terror Bombing|terror-bombing]] campaign,<ref>{{Cite web|last=凤凰网|first=爱历史|date=2015-12-05|title=你绝对没见过的日军轰炸重庆的血债照片|url=http://inews.ifeng.com/yidian/46532796/news.shtml?ch=ref_zbs_ydzx_news|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-15|website=inews.ifeng.com|quote=<!-- 1941年，对于重庆市民来说，无疑是最痛苦、最悲壮、最惨烈的一年。继1940年日军的“101号作战”之后，侵华日军再次部署了更加残忍的“102号作战”即对重庆实施“轮番轰炸”、“月光轰炸”、“疲劳轰炸”，又称“第三次战略轰炸”。日军企图倾其全力，孤注一掷，一举解决“中国事变”。为实现其战略目标，日本海军不惜血本，从国内调来最新式的战斗机，并且还加大火力攻击。-->}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Chai|first=George|date=|title=五三重庆空战|url=http://www.flyingtiger-cacw.com/gb_737.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-15|website=www.flyingtiger-cacw.com|quote=<<!-- 日陆海军共出动4555架次，投弹27107枚，其中对重庆空袭2023架次，投弹10021枚。“101号作战”历时110天，是日军对重庆最大规模的空中作战。1941年初，日本为在太平洋上冒险，决定对中国内陆作最后一次毁灭性打击，实施102号作战，“这一年，日机空袭重庆81次，出动飞机3495架次，投弹8893枚。-->}}</ref> however, the Japanese began pulling out their top aviation units in mid-late 1941 in preparations for ''Operation Z''; the planned [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. In the humiliation following the Pearl Harbor attack,<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2009-04-15|title=4月18驚爆東京30秒，電影《珍珠港》沒說完的英雄故事〈一〉 - 新一軍的那些人那些事 - udn部落格|url=http://blog.udn.com/cvn68/2745337|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-16|website=blog.udn.com|language=zh-Hant-TW|quote=<!-- 1941年冬，美國總統羅斯福為了要力雪珍珠港被偷襲成功的恥辱，及鼓舞美國與盟國的民心士氣，下令儘早對日本展開還擊行動。-->}}</ref> the U.S. immediately arranged with the R.O.C. a counterattack operation which would later become known as the [[Doolittle Raid]] and in the latter half of the Sino-Japanese War-World War II, the ROCAF was augmented by a volunteer group of American pilots (the [[Flying Tigers]]) whom engaged their first combat action on 20 December 1941, with the primary task of defending "[[The Hump]]" supply line.<ref>{{cite web |last=Rossi |first=J.R. |url=http://www.flyingtigersavg.22web.org/tiger1.htm |title=History: The Flying Tigers - American Volunteer Group - Chinese Air Force |access-date=2012-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722181853/http://www.flyingtigersavg.22web.org/tiger1.htm |archive-date=2013-07-22 |url-status=live }}</ref> Throughout the remainder of the war, as the ROCAF transitioned into high-speed and heavily-armed and armored aircraft provided through the Lend-Lease, and began renewed attacks against Japanese air, ground and maritime forces back across the Chinese theatre of operations, the Republic of China government invested in developing an ambitiously innovative swept-forward gull-winged indigenous fighter aircraft design called the XP-1, in hopes to wean-off reliance upon foreign sources, however, the fatal crash of the XP-1 prototype, and the availability of the powerful and versatile P-47 and P-51 fighters had effective ended the ROC's attempt at indigenously-made combat aircraft-industrialization and autonomy in those war years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Guo|first=Leo|date=2020-05-21|title=1st AFAMF XP-1 — China's Wartime Swept Wing Fighter|url=https://sinorecords.org/xp-1/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-23|website=Sino Records|language=en-CA|quote=The XP-1 is perhaps one of the most interesting, if not obscure, Chinese designs of the war... Despite its failures, the XP-1 can be considered one of China’s most unique and ambitious fighter designs to originate from the Second Sino-Japanese War... the XP-1 was an honest indigenous attempt to design an innovative fighter to combat the Japanese.}}</ref>
-=== From Civil War===
-ROCAF General HQ was established in June 1946. From 1946 to 1948, during the [[Chinese Civil War]], the ROCAF participated in combat against the [[People's Liberation Army]] engaging in air-to-air combat on at least eleven occasions in the areas surrounding the [[Taiwan Strait]]. The ROCAF reportedly enjoyed a 31:1 kill ratio against the PLA. GHQ was evacuated to Taiwan along with the rest of the ROC Government in April 1949 following the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/12/04/2003660529/1|title=Taiwan in Time: The great retreat - Taipei Times|website=www.taipeitimes.com|access-date=2018-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730170752/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/12/04/2003660529/1|archive-date=2018-07-30|url-status=live}}</ref> The ROCAF assisted in halting the PLA advance at the [[Battle of Kuningtou]] on [[Kinmen]] the same year.
+=== From Civil War/Cold War Era ===
-The ROCAF regularly patrolled the Taiwan Straits and fought many engagements with its Communist counterpart (the [[PLAAF]]). The ROCAF received second hand equipment from the US at that time, such as the [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86]], [[North American F-100 Super Sabre|F-100]] and [[Lockheed F-104 Starfighter|F-104]].
+ROCAF General HQ was established in June 1946. From 1946 to 1948, during the [[Chinese Civil War]], the ROCAF participated in combat against the [[People's Liberation Army]] engaging in air-to-air combat on at least eleven occasions in the areas surrounding the [[Taiwan Strait]]. The ROCAF reportedly enjoyed a 31:1 kill ratio against the PLA.{{cn|date=January 2021}} GHQ was evacuated to Taiwan along with the rest of the ROC Government in April 1949 following the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/12/04/2003660529/1|title=Taiwan in Time: The great retreat - Taipei Times|website=www.taipeitimes.com|access-date=2018-07-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730170752/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/12/04/2003660529/1|archive-date=2018-07-30|url-status=live}}</ref> The ROCAF assisted in halting the PLA advance at the [[Battle of Kuningtou]] on [[Kinmen]] the same year.
-During the [[Cold War]], the ROCAF was involved in combat air patrols over the Taiwan Strait and engaged the [[People's Liberation Army Air Force|PLAAF]] and PLAN-AF on several occasions. The ROCAF was also the testbed of American technology at this time. The first successful kill scored by an air-to-air missile was accomplished by a ROCAF F-86 Sabre with then experimental [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]]. ROCAF pilots also flew [[Lockheed U-2|U-2]] recon overflights of the PRC during this time with assistance from the USAF. Known as the [[Black Cat Squadron]] they flew a total of 220 missions, with 102 missions over mainland China, losing 5 aircraft. All five were shot down by [[SA-2|SA-2 surface-to-air missiles]], the same type of surface-to-air missile that shot down [[Gary Powers]] over the USSR in 1960. The 34th "[[Black Bat Squadron]]" flew low level missions into China as part of its mapping PRC growing air defense networks, conducting ESM and ECM missions, inserting agents behind enemy lines, and air drop resupply missions.
+The ROCAF regularly patrolled the Taiwan Straits and fought many engagements with its Communist counterpart - the [[People's Liberation Army Air Force]] (PLAAF). The ROCAF received second hand equipment from the US at that time, such as the [[North American F-86 Sabre]], [[North American F-100 Super Sabre]] and the [[Lockheed F-104 Starfighter]].
+During the [[Cold War]], the ROCAF was involved in combat air patrols over the Taiwan Strait and engaged the PLAAF and PLAN-AF on several occasions. The ROCAF was also the testbed of American technology at this time. The first successful kill scored by an air-to-air missile was accomplished by a ROCAF F-86 Sabre with then experimental [[AIM-9 Sidewinder]]. ROCAF pilots also flew [[Lockheed U-2]] reconnaissance overflights of the PRC during this time with assistance from the USAF. Known as the [[Black Cat Squadron]] they flew a total of 220 missions, with 102 missions over mainland China, losing five aircraft. All five were shot down by [[SA-2|SA-2 surface-to-air missiles]], the same type of surface-to-air missile that shot down [[Gary Powers]] over the USSR in 1960. The 34th "[[Black Bat Squadron]]" flew low level missions into China as part of its mapping PRC growing air defense networks, conducting ESM and ECM missions, inserting agents behind enemy lines, and air drop resupply missions.
 [[File:C-123B in flight over US 1950s.jpg|thumb|C-123Bs in flight over US 1950s, Aircraft 641 was later transferred to Taiwan to support CIA operations]]
-Starting in November 1967, the ROC secretly operated a cargo transport detachment to assist the US and the ROV as part of [[Republic of China in the Vietnam War|its participation in the Vietnam War]]. It was based on existing formation of the 34th squadron of ROC Air force. The unit's strength included two [[C-123]] cargo aircraft, seven flight officers and two mechanics, even though a higher number of military personnel was involved through rotation. It was tasked with air transportation, airdrop and electronic reconnaissance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=TREVITHICK |first1=JOSEPH |title=America and Taiwan Had a Secret Transport Squadron in Vietnam |url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/america-and-taiwan-had-a-secret-transport-squadron-in-vietnam-9a80b1c729cf |website=medium.com |publisher=Medium |access-date=21 July 2019|date=2016-12-03 }}</ref> Some 25 members of the unit were killed, among them 17 pilots and co-pilots, and three aircraft were lost. Other ROC involvement in Vietnam included a secret listening station, special reconnaissance and raiding squads, military advisers and civilian airline operations (which cost a further two aircraft due to Vietnamese individually operated AA missiles).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lin |first1=Hsiao-ting |title=Taiwan's Cold War in Southeast Asia |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/taiwans-cold-war-southeast-asia |website=/www.wilsoncenter.org |publisher=The Wilson Center |access-date=21 July 2019|date=2016-04-07 }}</ref>
+Starting in November 1967, the ROC secretly operated a cargo transport detachment to assist the US and the ROV as part of [[Republic of China in the Vietnam War|its participation in the Vietnam War]]. It was based on existing formation of the 34th squadron of ROC Air force. The unit's strength included two [[Fairchild C-123 Provider]] cargo aircraft, seven flight officers and two mechanics, even though a higher number of military personnel was involved through rotation. It was tasked with air transportation, airdrop and electronic reconnaissance.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Trevithick |first1=Joseph |title=America and Taiwan Had a Secret Transport Squadron in Vietnam |url=https://medium.com/war-is-boring/america-and-taiwan-had-a-secret-transport-squadron-in-vietnam-9a80b1c729cf |website=medium.com |publisher=Medium |access-date=21 July 2019|date=2016-12-03 }}</ref> Some 25 members of the unit were killed, among them 17 pilots and co-pilots, and three aircraft were lost. Other ROC involvement in Vietnam included a secret listening station, special reconnaissance and raiding squads, military advisers and civilian airline operations (which cost a further two aircraft due to Vietnamese individually operated AA missiles).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lin |first1=Hsiao-ting |title=Taiwan's Cold War in Southeast Asia |url=https://www.wilsoncenter.org/publication/taiwans-cold-war-southeast-asia |website=/www.wilsoncenter.org |publisher=The Wilson Center |access-date=21 July 2019|date=2016-04-07 }}</ref>
-From 1979 to 1990 the ROCAF engaged in a classified military aid program in [[Yemen Arab Republic]] known as the Great Desert Program (大漠計畫).<ref name="Taipei Times" /> The program started after American President [[Jimmy Carter]] rushed 14 F-5s to the Yemeni Air Force who had no pilots or ground crew trained to operate the type or even western aircraft (they previously operated Mig-15s). The Americans and the Saudis (who were bankrolling the Yemen Arab Republic's military) requested military aid from Taiwan who provided 80 F-5 pilots, ground crews, early warning radars, and anti-aircraft missile batteries.<ref name="WaPo 1979" />  All told more than a thousand ROCAF personnel deployed to Yemen.<ref name="Taipei Times" />
+From 1979 to 1990 the ROCAF engaged in a classified military aid program in [[Yemen Arab Republic]] known as the Great Desert Program (大漠計畫).<ref name="Taipei Times" /> The program started after American President [[Jimmy Carter]] rushed 14 F-5s to the [[Yemeni Air Force]] who had no pilots or ground crew trained to operate the type or even western aircraft (they previously operated Mig-15s). The Americans and the Saudis (who were bankrolling the Yemen Arab Republic's military) requested military aid from Taiwan who provided 80 F-5 pilots, ground crews, early warning radars, and anti-aircraft missile batteries.<ref name="WaPo 1979" />  All told more than a thousand ROCAF personnel deployed to Yemen.<ref name="Taipei Times" />
 The opposing Air Force of [[South Yemen]] was made up of [[Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force]] pilots and maintainers with some [[Soviet]] advisors and pilots as well.<ref name="WaPo 1979">{{cite news |last1=Hoagl |first1=Jim |title=Taiwanese Hired By North Yemen To Fly U.S. Jets |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1979/05/28/taiwanese-hired-by-north-yemen-to-fly-us-jets/fe051ed4-6c63-4021-93b1-1135dd3b0985/ |access-date=21 July 2019 |agency=The Washington Post |work=The Washington Post |date=May 28, 1979}}</ref> The ROCAF force were actively involved in combat with the Cubans/Soviets and for all intents and purposes constitutes the Yemen Arab Republic's Air Force during this time. Taiwanese pilots scored a number of kills and the air-defense and early warning radar teams took casualties from aerial attacks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northrop F-5E/F in Service with Taiwan |url=http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/f5_31.html |website=www.joebaugher.com |publisher=joebaugher.com |access-date=21 July 2019}}</ref> The program ended in 1990 when Saudi Arabia withdrew its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan.<ref name="Taipei Times">{{cite web |last1=Jonathan Chin |first1=Lo Tien-pin and |title=Air force highlights secret North Yemen operations |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/01/29/2003708858 |website=www.taipeitimes.com |publisher=Taipei Times |access-date=21 July 2019}}</ref>

v t e Republic of China Air Force
Structure	12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron 21st Fighter Squadron (U.S. Air Force training squadron) Thunder Tigers Aerobatics Team
Facilities	Chiashan Air Force Base Chihhang Air Base Ching Chuan Kang Air Base Hsinchu Airport Taoyuan Air Base Chiayi Air Base Republic of China Air Force Academy Republic of China Air Force Museum
Aircraft	Beechcraft 1900 Fokker 50 C-130H F-16 F-5 Mirage 2000 E-2 Hawkeye P-3 Orion T-34 Mentor AT-3 T-5 F-CK-1 Air Force 3701 Chien Hsiang Teng Yun EC225 S-70
History	American Volunteer Group Black Cat Squadron Black Bat Squadron Squadron Memorial Hall Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional) Development of Chinese Nationalist air force (1937–1945) Flying Tigers NDF Rebellion Soviet Volunteer Group Technical Air Intelligence Unit Yemenite War of 1979 327th Air Division
Equipment	TC-1 TC-2 TC-2A Hsiung Feng II Hsiung Feng III Wan Chien AIM-120C AIM-9 AIM-7 AGM-88 MICA Magic II AGM-65 AGM-84 AGM-154 Paveway Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod LANTIRN PAC-3 TK-2 TK-3 Skyguard AN/FPS-117 AN/TPS-117 PAVE PAWS