Last Chinese New Year's eve every house-hold in Taiwan was letting off firecrackers to see the new year in. But on darkened Hsinchu air base four fighter crews wait round the clock in the guardroom in full flying kit, while nearby their F-104 fighters are kept ready to take off within five minutes.

This was nothing to do with the Gulf War, "because if the Chinese Communists launched a military assault across the Taiwan Strait they could reach Taiwan airspace within eight minutes. Take off the time needed for intelligence gathering and friend-or-foe identification procedures, and the warning period is even shorter. Unless our air force maintains constant vigilance the tragedy of Kuwait being overrun in 24 hours could be replayed at any moment in Taiwan, which is about the same size," says Col. Liu Ping-hsiao, Hsinchu air base's political warfare director.

On a dewy winter's morning at Taitung's Chih Hang base, an instructor with the hypothetical enemy squadron, wearing MiG and F-5E badges on his arms, takes off to test his wits against his students, and soon several F-5Es are tangling in a dogfight in the sky.

"In terms of numbers of aircraft and weapons we are really outclassed by Communist China, and in any aerial combat we would depend on our pilots' skills and tactics to halt the enemy in the skies and wrest air supremacy so as to preserve our naval and ground forces," explains commandant of the Air Force Tactical Training Center Chuang Chung-i.

On a sunny afternoon at Kangshan Air Force Academy a class of flying cadets, beads of sweat on their foreheads, excitedly and nervously climb aboard their AT-3 jet trainers and gingerly practice takeoffs and landings like so many young birds learning to fly.

In the air-conditioned computer center, computer keyboards are busily clicking away. "The country now has more than ever invested in its pilots, but air force applications are down; our only hope for effectively training a fine new generation of air force pilots is to introduce a more scientific and systematized approach," says cadet squadron leader Col. Chang Hui-jung.

Having just returned from taking cadets flying, Air Force Academy instructors who are also members of the Thunder Tigers aerobatics team change out of orange flying suits into bright red aerobatic gear as they rush off to rehearse their program.

We don't get a penny extra, and we have to give over 30 displays a year for everyone from members of the public on air base open days to specially invited foreign guests. "UP aloft you can't hear or see the audience cheering, you just think of showing ROC air force flying skills to best advantage and try your damnedest to fly superbly," says Col. Kuo Pu, leader of the Thunder Tigers.

With air power at the forefront of the US-led coalition's Desert Storm campaign in the Gulf War, the air force has become once more a focus of world attention.

Iraqi front-line forces were totally paralyzed by 80,000 bombing sorties carried out over a six week period, allowing the allied ground assault to come to an end just 100 hours after it started; having come into its own with the Second World War, from now on the role of the air force will be to wear down enemy combat strength and morale so as to keep their own side's forces intact.

With Taiwan being an island, the strategy of controlling the skies and seas and repelling troop landings has kept the ROC Air Force on the front line for the past 40 years, playing a decisive role in deterring Communist Chinese aggression and guarding the ROC's national security.

But leafing through the authoritative Jane's Yearbook, the air forces of the ROC and the PRC are totally disproportionate in terms of numbers of aircraft and men.

Their figures show that the PRC's air force has a total of over 5,000 fighters while Taiwan's add up to about 400, a force ratio of twelve to one.

According to a 1988 military balance report published by Britain's Institute for Strategic Studies, Communist China has 6,000 fighters while Taiwan has 562. Air force personnel on the two sides total 470,000 as against 77,000, a ratio of about six to one.

However the comparison is made, "numerically, we are at an absolute disadvantage." The C-in-C Air Force, Gen. Lin Wen-li, adds that even though Communist China's thousands of fighters could never be deployed all at once, and while they appear to have only 200 warplanes stationed across the Taiwan Strait in Fukien, just 250 to 500 miles to the rear they have almost 1,200 warplanes which could be mobilized at any time and moved overnight to 13 airfields along the southeast coast, from where they could reach Taiwan in eight minutes.

But having badly burned their fingers in the 1958 Kinmen bombardment, the Chinese Communists have not dared to try anything during the thirty or more years since.

"Although political considerations have held them back from making any aggressive move so far, from a purely military perspective our success during the 1958 Kinmen bombardment in downing 31 MiGs against one plane lost and gaining air supremacy over the Taiwan Strait, together with our subsequent vigilant posture, have actually made them weigh the cost of attacking Taiwan by force," is how assemblyman Ting Shou-chung of the Legislative Yuan's defense committee sees it.

"Being at a numerical disadvantage in terms of force levels, our strategy is to be on the defensive and minimize the chances of conflict so as to avoid gradual attrition," says C-in-C Lin. A defensive posture gives you the advantage of choosing where to intercept and interdict attacking aircraft.

The huge disparity in warplanes between the two sides doesn't worry the military experts too much. "The ROC air force has a defensive strategy, and Taiwan's airspace is too small for the Chinese Communists to send all their aircraft over at once, each attack would be limited to 200 aircraft at the outside, attacking in a maximum of three waves a day." Sherman Cheng, who works for an American high-tech company and has studied armaments and military forces, adds that although the PRC has an advantage in numbers of aircraft it has no AWACS planes and limited night attack capability, and besides, Taiwan's airspace is so constricted that too many aircraft could bunch up together and collide with each other!

Air Force C-in-C Lin Wen-li also believes the size of Taiwan's airspace means that the communists could never launch all their aircraft at once, they would have to come in waves of 200 "and we could easily deal with that at our current strength."

If numbers are nothing to worry about, how about combat capability?

"The mainstays of the PRC's air force, the MiG 19 (Jian 6) and MiG 21 (Jian 7), have good high-altitude combat capability and are maneuverable in dogfights, but aging navigational instruments and limited firing control systems take the edge off their capability in a big way, and besides, their pilots lack training and experience and use conventional tactics, while their ground radar is obsolete," explains Ting Shou-chung.

By contrast, our own air force's workhorses, American F-104s and F-5Es, have better medium and low altitude characteristics and superior firing control systems. Despite a combat radius of only 250 miles they are well suited to a defense role; and although the planes are at least 20 or 30 years old they're well maintained and serviced by the air force and are certainly a match for the MiG fighters.

In the 1990s both sides will re-equip their air forces with new models, Taiwan with the Ching-kuo Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF), and Communist china with the Jian 8.

According to Jane's, Communist China currently has 50 Jian 8-A's and 30 improved Jian 8-B's with a speed of Mach 2.2 and a maximum altitude of 20,000 meters, with excellent high-altitude combat capability. Its drawbacks include conventional mechanical rod controls which affect maneuverability and outmoded electronics.

The IDF's biggest weakness, on the other hand, is an insufficiently powerful engine, and although its maximum cruising speed is still secret it is said to be only about Mach 1.6. The IDF's navigational electronics are the world's most advanced, it uses a fly-by-wire system which allows superb maneuverability, and its weapons system including close range machine guns, Sky Sword missiles and medium range air-to-air missiles amply makes up for its lack of speed.

According to Gen. Hua Hsi-chun, director of the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology's aviation development centre, to overcome the shortcomings of the IDF prototype, work has now started on an improved IDF model Ⅱ which is expected to have a maximum speed in excess of Mach 2 and which with its APG-67 firing control radar, the same model as the American-made F-20, will surpass the Jian 8 in combat capability.

Apparently, however, Communist China is not only putting the Jian 8 fighter into volume production and improving its electronic systems, but is also striving to develop a new Jian warplane with technology transferred from Israel's Kfir (Young Lion) fighter and modelled on the Soviet MiG 29 with its even more superior characteristics.

"In comparing forces, you can't just look at aircraft numbers or weaponry. Modern fighters are getting better all the time, with improved maximum speeds for example, but straining to squeeze that extra little bit of speed is not all that necessary." Hei Yu-lung, author of A Survey of New Armaments and himself an old air force man, points out that dogfights usually take place at speeds of between Mach 0.9 and 1.2, and anything over Mach 2.2 just means burning up fuel without much gain in speed.

"Combat capability depends first and foremost on human beings. Technical advance has meant that the development of sophisticated aircraft characteristics has outpaced improvements in the quality of combat personnel. Basically a fighter is a platform, so sophisticated armaments and fine pilots who can exploit the plane's capabilities to best advantage and hit the target bang on are what really count in combat," comments one senior officer.

Western military analysts point to the Arab-Israeli conflict to illustrate this point. With fewer and less sophisticated aircraft than their Arab counterparts, the Israelis nevertheless achieved a record-breaking 75 to 1 kill ratio.

"An experienced pilot with his wits about him knows how to take up an advantageous position as soon as he arrives in the conflict zone. As you maneuver in three-dimensional space any turn or roll can alter the situation; good pilots understand these principles and will maneuver skillfully to gain the upper hand." Lt. Col. Chuang Chung-i, commandant of the Chih Hang Tactical Training Centre in Taitung, explains that such situations often crop up between instructors and their students during simulated "hypothetical enemy" combat training. An experienced instructor may seem about to be locked on to by a student's missile system, but he still manages to shake him off, leaving the student wondering just how he lost out.

"One reason why the instructors have such flying skills is that they're prepared to risk taking drastic action." And Commandant Chuang emphasizes that this can only come from routine training.

During the Gulf War, Israeli defense ministry spokesman Ron Caruor mentioned that the Israeli air force's success in previous Middle Eastern conflicts was because "our aircraft dared to fly in close and naturally fired more accurately, the caliber of our weapons didn't matter as long as the target was shot down."

With its pilots' superior flying skills and superb morale, the ROC Air Force has long been praised by Western commentators and has left behind a fine record in world air force history since the Second World War.

In 1931, when the Central Aviation School was founded at Chienchiao, Hangchow, a militaristic Japan was just about to launch its invasion of China. We were at an absolute disadvantage in terms of military equipment and numbers, but the first clashes with Japanese forces gave rise to two air victories renowned in China's military history.

On 14 August 1937, thirteen Japanese heavy bombers attacked the Chienchiao airfield at Hangchow, and six of them were shot down by the 4th fighter squadron under squadron leader Kao Chih-hang.

Next day, bent on revenge, the Japanese sent over 60 heavy bombers to raid airfields at Hangchow, Chiahsing, Tsao-o and Nanking. The ROC Air Force promptly downed 34 of these, smashing the Kanoya and Kisurazu squadrons, the pride of Japan's air force.

In the latter part of the Second World War, after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbour, the United States supplied China with all kinds of aircraft under a Sino-American friendship treaty. This allowed the ROC Air Force to become even more active in the theatre of war and win international praise and renown.

The Kinmen bombardment of August 23, 1958, scotched Communist China's ambitions to invade Taiwan. In the Cold War period of the 1960s the ROC Air force also played an important part in opening up a window in Communist China's "Bamboo Curtain."

Highly trained and motivated pilots of the Black Cat Squadron, formed from the ROC Air Force's 35th squadron, flew U-2 spy planes at altitudes of 70,000 meters on intelligence-gathering missions for America over the Soviet Union and mainland China. These brave men, fully cognizant of the dangers involved, were still prepared to fly these missions even when they knew their colleagues were often shot down.

Well aware that air supremacy over the Taiwan Strait depends principally on superior human skill, the air force has for many years paid the closest attention to its training program.

In addition to upgrading its equipment and intensifying it patrol missions and training courses, the air force has also introduced the "hypothetical enemy" training method used at the American "Top Gun" base, to hone fighter pilots in the skills and tactics used when confronting the enemy. Non-stop research and adjustment to courses has gone on at the Air Force Academy to ensure that personnel are correctly trained to meet future needs.

It's no easy ride to become a fighter pilot. Barely half of the Air Force Academy's intake are certified as competent to take to the air, after which follow 85 hours of basic and 120 hours of advanced flying training. "This is just laying the foundation for basic air force duties, and after arriving at their units everyone is constantly being sifted out on the basis of their performance, physical endurance and career interests," explains the academy's deputy commandant Lin Ming-chang.

"The quality of Taiwan's air force personnel is well above the worldwide average. In addition to training through simulating the experience of actual combat, the government has invested considerable sums in training facilities." Military expert Sherman Cheng reveals that Taiwan's aerial combat training simulator, acquired in 1988, is one of only 14 in the entire world.

"Taiwan's air force is small but prickly, you'd better not touch it or you'll hurt yourself," says Sherman Cheng. Taiwan's past air combat record, and ROC pilots' recent success in beating advanced F-15 fighters with their F-5Es while on training abroad, have forged an impression among the international air force community that Taiwan's air force is skilled, capable and not to be underestimated.

Electronic warfare is playing an increasingly important role in aerial combat, "and Taiwan's high standards in electronics, its developed computer industry and the fact that people are used to playing with video games and computers, has all brought higher standards among military technicians." Sherman Cheng believes that this has given a powerful boost to ROC Air Force superiority.

Its glorious tradition, rigorous training and generous pay have all contributed to the air force's proud opinion of itself, whereby the air force has always seemed like a dazzling star. But as social values change, the international political climate shifts and Communist China strives to expand its arms inventory, can this star still shine as brilliantly as before? In other words, will we be able to maintain air supremacy in the future?

"We shouldn't assess Communist China's military might today by the standards of 20 years ago," claims a local strategic expert. Communist China has moved on and they're upgrading their capabilities through various advanced countries. For instance, their main fighter the Jian 8 has been improved with American help and many of them have night fighting and all-weather operating capabilities.

In 1986 the United States, Britain and Italy also decided to sell electronic navigation and firing control systems to Communist China for its fighters, a development that once completed will enhance their combat effectiveness.

In the case of our own main fighters the F-104 and F-5E on the other hand, US manufacturers have shut down their production lines and it's getting harder and harder to obtain parts for maintenance. Our procurement of new aircraft and weapons is also frequently stymied by mainland China, and the obstacles grew worse after the USA and the PRC signed the August 17 Communique. To cite. an obvious instance, we urgently wanted to buy F-16 and F-20 fighters from the United States in 1987 to replace our aging F-104s and F-5Es, but this was vetoed by the US Senate due to concerns to "avoid increasing Taiwan's strategic superiority."

What with its aging fleet becoming difficult to repair, no way of buying new aircraft, and the locally developed IDF fighter not yet in volume production, Taiwan's air supremacy is not looking quite what it was.

Even more worryingly, the pride air force officers always used to take in themselves has been dented in recent years through changes in Taiwan's social make-up and people's get-rich-quick outlook on life.

"New generation airmen are bright, quick off the mark and well trained, but they tend to be less prepared than their predecessors to make sacrifices for their country or to see the other side as the enemy," is how one air base commandant expresses his dismay at the recent fall-off in air force officer applications.

"Whenever a fighter pilot appeared in our village in uniform, we children would gather round him like bees round a honey pot. But now I'm a pilot myself I avoid wearing uniform on leave whenever possible," says one pilot resignedly. Rising incomes mean that airmen's salaries no longer cause envy, and the local media, whether intentionally or not, have linked the air force in people's minds with plane crashes, all of which has sapped their military glamour.

"In fact, Taiwan's loss rate is less than half that of America's," points out Lt. Col. Chang Hui-jung, who is reading for a Masters degree at American University. Statistics show that Taiwan's air force plane crash rate has plunged from 37.3 deaths per 100,000 flying hours to a current rate of 7.67.

Besides, Taiwan's booming civil airlines offer two or three times what the military pay, plus benefits, and have succeeded in attracting numerous air force pilots.

"A fighter-pilot lieutenant colonel earns NT$70,000 a month and is on 24-hour call at his base; a civilian co-pilot takes home upwards of NT$100,000 a month, is free to go home when he lands, and gets ten days off every month too," points out one air force lieutenant colonel. No wonder many air force officers of lieutenant colonel rank and above take voluntary retirement after 20 years' service and go in for civil aviation. "The drain of talent isn't too bad just yet, but if things go on it might come to the point where we're losing highly experienced core personnel."

A brain drain combined with a shortage of recruits is the air force's nightmare scenario.

This year the Air Force Academy accepted its first women officer and pilot cadets, looking to women for desk jobs, ground maintenance work and piloting relatively safe, slow-flying aircraft, so as to allow the men to concentrate on fighter aircraft.

In the search for promising pilot material, military schools also plan to start up courses for junior high school leavers to encourage children with an interest in flying to enter military school earlier and make sure they keep their eyesight and physique in tip-top condition for flying.

In 1987 the Air Force Academy also brought its flying certification test forward from the fourth to the second year. "Earlier certification is aimed at sorting people out sooner, setting them on the right track and designing more professional courses so as to save on training costs," explains deputy commandant Lin. Flying certification and training grades are now computerized for more accurate selection of air combat personnel.

"The air force always used to be a black box, but now we must intensify our public relations and cooperation with the outside world," says Hei Yu-lung. Public relations helps dispel misconceptions and avoids blows to air force moral, as well as bringing a host of practical benefits.

One famous example is when Warner Brothers were planning to shoot Top Gun a few years back the US Air Force cold-shouldered their request for help with providing aircraft and personnel. So they turned to the Navy instead, who gave them everything they wanted--and the film's hero became an aircraft carrier fighter pilot. The film was a smash hit, and that year applications to join the navy shot up fourfold.

"That film has made America's Top Gun air base famous, but very few people know our own air force also has a 'Top Gun' base, and what's more our military even pay US$800,000 a year to send an air force officer to the Top Gun base in the United States for training," says Lt. Col. Wang Mu-tseng, who was sent to America to train at the Top Gun base in 1987 and is currently reading for a Masters in administration at the American Naval Academy.

"Times are changing, and many advanced countries are putting their armed forces on a business footing with modern management methods and image packaging," he says, adding that the chance to go abroad for training and research is an excellent morale-booster and provides an added incentive for young people to join up.

On Air Force Day last August 14, the air force opened up its bases to the public for the first time. Every base was swarming with crowds of sightseers and the crowds loved the aerobatic displays put on by the Thunder Tigers. "We're aware of the need to be more open," says an air force public relations officer, who reveals that reporters may soon be allowed to fly on board fighter aircraft as is done in America. "Ultimately, increased public support is the best way to raise our morale," he says.

Everyone is glad the Gulf War is over. But with no outbreak of hostilities for 30 years, fewer people appreciate the vigilance with which the air force has guarded Taiwan over the past four decades. Fortunately the Chienchiao spirit is still alive, and the ROC Air Force's officers and men state with a firm voice: "We can perform any mission entrusted to us, so long as the public want us to maintain air supremacy."

[Picture Caption]

The F-104 fighter is a mainstay of the ROC Air Force today, and although somewhat elderly it is superbly maintained to carry out all-weather patrol duties.

The American-made F-5E is currently the air force's main fighter.

The locally developed AT-3 bomber has been commissioned into night attack squadrons.

Intended as a replacement for F-104s and F-5Es, the locally developed IDF fighter will be the mainstay of the ROC Air Force in the 1990s.

The weaponry carried by an aircraft decisively affects its combat capability. Shown here is a smart bomb.

CBU-20 cluster bomb.

Ammunition for machine guns fitted on the F-104, F-5E and the IDF fighter.

This missile to be fitted to the IDF fighter has characteristics similar to an American Sidewinder missile.

19-barrel rocket casing used by the air force.

2.75-inch air force rockets.

ROC-Communist China Air Combat Figures

Source: Ministry of National Defense

Comparison of Military Forces Across the Taiwan Strait

Source: UK Institute of Strategic Studies (The Military Balance 1988～1989), 1988.

Thorough maintenance work is the key to keeping fighters in a state of readiness.

"Man and machine at one" is the pilot's basic faith.

On the side of every F-104 the air force has painstakingly painted: "This plane cost NT$51.64 million, please maintain and use carefully."

C-in-C Air Force Gen. Lin Wen-li personally flies an F-104 to refute rumors that it's obsolete and has a high crash rate.

A second detailed check before takeoff.

Superbly trained pilots are the main reason why we retain air supremacy.

An enemy air raid would give Taiwan only 8 minutes' warning, so pilots and fighters must be in a state of readiness round the clock, prepared to scramble at any moment.

Outstanding flying skills depend upon routine peacetime training. In addition to actual airborne training exercises, instructors' briefings and analyses are vital too.

Coordination comes from pilots putting their heads together as soon as they touch down and discussing what has just happened and what tactics they used to react to it.

Each squadron's logo is a symbol of its spiritual aspirations.

The Air Force Academy is the cradle of Taiwan's fighter pilots. Shown here are students limbering up by learning fencing. (photo from Sinorama files)

The American-made F-5E is currently the air force's main fighter.

The locally developed AT-3 bomber has been commissioned into night attack squadrons.

Intended as a replacement for F-104s and F-5Es, the locally developed IDF fighter will be the mainstay of the ROC Air Force in the 1990s.

The weaponry carried by an aircraft decisively affects its combat capability. Shown here is a smart bomb.

CBU-20 cluster bomb.

Ammunition for machine guns fitted on the F-104, F-5E and the IDF fighter.

This missile to be fitted to the IDF fighter has characteristics similar to an American Sidewinder missile.

19-barrel rocket casing used by the air force.

2.75-inch air force rockets.

Thorough maintenance work is the key to keeping fighters in a state of readiness.

"Man and machine at one" is the pilot's basic faith.

On the side of every F-104 the air force has painstakingly painted: "This plane cost NT$51.64 million, please maintain and use carefully.".

A second detailed check before takeoff.

C-in-C Air Force Gen. Lin Wen-li personally flies an F-104 to refute rumors that it's obsolete and has a high crash rate.

Superbly trained pilots are the main reason why we retain air supremacy.