Taiwan will spend a significant sum to obtain spare parts for the Safran M53 engines that power its fleet of Dassault Aviation Mirage 2000-5 fighters.
The country will spend NT$10.2 billion ($329 million) with Safran obtaining spares for engines, according to a government procurement system, though the aircraft involved is not stated.
The Focus Taiwan news channel, however, cites a government source as saying that the funds relate to the Mirage 2000-5 fleet.
The M53 spares contract will run from 2024-2028.
The Focus Taiwan report adds that Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense has also signed a contract with MBDA for parts and components related to the MICA and R.550 Magic air-to-air missiles that equip the Mirages.
In August 2023 news emerged that Taiwan had commissioned Dassault to assess the viability of upgrading nine Mirage 2000-5s.
The air force reportedly budgeted NT$150 million for the assessment, which it expects to be completed by July 2026.
Taiwan operates 54 Mirage 2000-5s, having received a total of 60 examples in the 1990s. Six have been lost to accidents.
In June 2023, responding to rumours about sustainment issues with the Mirage fleet, the defence ministry said the fleet was meeting its “availability” and “mission capable” rate.
Beijing, which sees democratically governed Taiwan as its sovereign territory, is likely to express displeasure with any defence support that Paris provides Taipei.
