Recent concern about mainland China's intentions towards Taiwan, and more general concern about the risk of instability in the region, has led to growing interest in Taiwan's military strategy. This book brings together a range of experts from the West and from Taiwan itself who examine the key issues connected with Taiwan's air power, which is a key aspect of the China-Taiwan military balance. During the 1990s, Taiwan invested considerable resources in thoroughly re-equipping its air force with modern air defence and strike aircraft equipped with modern missiles, thereby denying China command of the air in any conflict in the short- to medium-term. In the longer-term, air power will remain a crucial influence on the overall balance, as China's efforts to upgrade its own air force's capabilities begin to undermine Taiwan's current advantages.

List of ContributorsAcknowledgementsForeword ROCAF General Yang-Jou ShiahPreface: The Challenges and Imperatives in Taiwan's Defense Peter BrookesAbbreviationsIntroduction Martin Edmonds and Michael M. TsaiPart 1. Air Power and Taiwan's Security1. Air Power and Taiwan's Security Martin Edmonds2. Ten Pointers for Taiwan on Contemporary Air Power Greg MillsPart 2. The Balance of Air Power over the Taiwan Straits3. The Shifting Balance of Air Superiority across the Taiwan Strait York Chen4. Command of the Air over Taiwan Chih-Heng Yang and Tzu-Yun SuPart 3. The Air Threat from Mainland China5. The PLA Air Force's Mobile Offensive Operations Kenneth Allen6. Why a Chinese Preemptive Strike would Fail Robert PapePart 4. The Air Defense of Taiwan7. The Air Battle Strategy in Taiwan's Defensive Operations Chih-Kung Yu8. Joint Air and Missile Defense for Taiwan: Implications for deterrence and defense Eric McVadon9. Air Base Defense: Chinese Missile Attacks and Taiwan's Defensive Response Ming-Yen TsaiPart 5. Taiwan's Air Force and Future Requirements10. The ROCAF Military Culture and Restructuring Chien Chung11. The ROCAF after Next: A Race to embrace the Future Richard D. FisherIndex