Regarding the media coverage of “Air Force Deceived Again by Purchasing the Electronic Warfare Pod that would Divulge Confidential Information?”, the Air Force Command Headquarters has solemnly clarified today (26th) that the covered content is clearly not the truth, and has provided the following explanations:
1. The electronic warfare equipment procured for the performance elevation project of the F-16A/B fighter aircrafts under the Air Force Command Headquarters adhere to the instruction from the Legislative Yuan of “ensure future application and maintenance of equipment are in line with the equipment of United States Air Force.” Furthermore, taking into account confidential security, the headquarters has chosen the ALQ-131A electronic warfare pod that is also used by the United States Air Force, which is solely funded, researched, and developed by the United States Armed Forces, without any R&D funding from the headquarters.
2. The configuration of the newly procured electronic warfare equipment for the F-16V (BLK70) fighter aircrafts is not yet confirmed, and as other procuring countries have yet to confirm, the headquarters has commissioned the United States Armed Forces to analyze and provide the best options for electronic warfare equipment, and the optimal solution will be selected according to functionality, security, overall logistics, risks, and benefits of the equipment, upon the provision from the United States Armed Forces. In addition, as the configuration of the electronic warfare has yet to be confirmed, there is no such thing as divulging confidential information.
3. Citizens can rest assured that the best options for the various weapons and equipment of the F-16V (BLK70) fighter aircrafts are selected according to enemy threats, combat requirements, and the secured environment of battlefields.