Republic of China Air Force

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Republic of China Air Force
中華民國空軍
Emblem of the Republic of China Air Force
Founded	1920; 104 years ago (1920) 25 December 1947; 76 years ago (1947-12-25) (as current service)
Country	Republic of China (Taiwan)
Type	Air force
Role	Aerial warfare
Size	35,000 active personnel (2023)[1] 90,000 reservists (2023)[1] 577 aircraft (2023)[2]
Part of	Republic of China Armed Forces
Garrison/HQ	Zhongshan, Taipei
Commanders
Commander	General Liu Jen-yuan[3]
Deputy Commander	Lieutenant-General Liu Feng-yu[3]
Chief Master Sergeant	Master Sergeant Pang Mao-Hsiung[3]
Insignia
Roundel
Flag
Unit colour
Aircraft flown
Electronic warfare	E-2T/K, C-130HE
Fighter	F-16V/B/AM/BM/A/Block 20, Mirage 2000-5DI/EI, F-CK-1C/D, F-5E/F
Helicopter	EC225 Super Puma, S-70C, UH-60M
Reconnaissance	RF-5E, RF-16
Trainer	AT-3B, T-34C
Transport	C-130H, Fokker 50, Beechcraft B-1900C, Boeing 737–800
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	中華民國空軍
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjūn Bopomofo ㄓㄨㄥ ㄏㄨㄚˊ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄎㄨㄥ ㄐㄩㄣ Wade–Giles Chunghua Minkuo Kongchün Tongyong Pinyin Jhōnghuá Mínguó Kōngjyūn Hakka Romanization Chûng-fà Mìn-koet Khung-kiûn Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Zong1-waa4 Man4-gwok3 Hong1-gwan1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tiong-huâ Bîn-kok Khong-kun

The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF; also retroactively known by its historical name the Chinese Air Force^[4] and colloquially referred to as the Taiwanese Air Force) is the military aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces, based in Taiwan since 1947. The ROCAF was founded in 1920 by the Kuomintang. While its historical name is sometimes used especially in domestic circles, it is not used as often internationally due to the current ambiguous political status of Taiwan and to avoid confusion with the People's Liberation Army Air Force of the People's Republic of China (PRC).

Its primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around the Taiwan area. 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 undersecretary for international affairs, Bruce Lemkin, said that Taiwan's ability to defend its airspace had degraded due to its aging fighters and that the sale of new US fighter aircraft to Taiwan was an urgent priority.^[5] 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 has called the F-16 fighter or any foreign fighter sales a "red line".^[6] 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.^[7][8][9] According to the former 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 the Chinese mainland^[10][11] These patrols significantly increased since 2019 and now routinely crosses the median line in Taiwan's air defense zones, causing the scrambling of fighters. These air scrambles put heavy strain on ROC airforce aircraft and cost around 9% of Taiwan's national defense budget or about T$25.5 billion ($886.49 million) in 2020 alone.^[12]

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 proposed defense policy^[when?], the ROCAF seeks to deny the PLAAF air operations around Taiwan by deploying integrated air defenses, including Patriot PAC-3 batteries and Tian Kung-2/3 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.