BRENT HANNON / TAIPEI
Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) is looking for $200 million to develop a new version of the Ching-Kuo Indigenous Defence Fighter (IDF), which will be a safeguard if Chinese pressure on Europe and the US to stop weapons sales to the country succeed.
The IDF C/D programme has an initial $30 million budget for systems design, which has been completed. AIDC has applied for another $200 million over seven years to complete development and flight testing of two new airframes as well as the modification and flight testing of two existing A/B airframes.
The new build IDFs will include extra fuel volume to increase range by 20-30%. The tests will determine which version of the IDF will go into production.
"We have tried to modify the existing A/B airframe to enhance the range," says Jeff Wu, business development manager, AIDC defence system and technology division. "But the airframe was difficult to modify, so we are building the new aircraft." The IDF C/D programme includes a single- and a two-seater.
The next-generation IDF, either the modified A/B or the all-new C/D, will incorporate an advanced version of the GD-53 radar, which is a derivative of the Lockheed Martin APG-67. The existing Honeywell/AIDC ITEC TFE1042 engine will be retained.
AIDC ceased IDF manufacture in December 1999 after completing 130 aircraft, 28 of which were two-seaters. Initially Taiwan planned to acquire 250 IDFs, but deals for 150 Lockheed MartinF-16s and 60 Dassault Mirage 2000-5s reduced the need for the indigenous fighter.
Source: Flight International
