Taiwan Air Force to spend US$328 Mn on Mirage 2000-5 engine spare parts.

The Mirage 2000-5, a French-made fighter aircraft, has been a cornerstone of the Taiwan Air Force's fleet since its acquisition in the 1990s. Despite over two decades in service, the aircraft's combat readiness remains a top priority for Taiwan's Defense Ministry. To secure the longevity and operational effectiveness of this fighter fleet, the ministry has allocated a substantial budget of US$328 million for the procurement of engine spare parts, Wu Sheng-hung and Joseph Yeh report in Focus Taiwan.

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The Mirage 2000-5 fleet is currently assigned to Taiwan's northern airspace (Picture source: Taiwan MoD)

Originally, Taiwan placed an order for 60 Mirage 2000-5 aircraft from France, and these fighters officially entered service in 1997. However, over the past 20-plus years, a series of unfortunate crashes has reduced the fleet to its current size of 54 aircraft.

In a recent development, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) has awarded a contract worth US$328 million to Safran Aircraft Engines, a renowned French company specializing in aviation technology, for the supply of engine spare parts. This contract, as per information available on the Government e-Procurement System, is scheduled to be executed from January 2024 until December 2028, with the Republic of China Air Force identified as the competent agency overseeing the project.

While the official announcement did not explicitly specify the aircraft model for which the engine spare parts are intended, a reliable, unnamed source has confirmed that these components are indeed meant for the Mirage 2000-5s within the Taiwan Air Force's inventory, predominantly stationed at Hsinchu Air Base.

This latest contract marks the third in a series of agreements the MND has signed with foreign companies in recent months to ensure the continued availability and mission capability of its Mirage 2000-5 fleet, which has faithfully served the nation's defense needs (they are currently assigned to Taiwan's northern airspace). In addition to the engine spare parts procurement, the MND has also taken steps to bolster the fighter's air-to-air capabilities by reaching an agreement with a French company for the acquisition of essential parts and components required for the MBDA MICA and R.550 Magic air-to-air missiles, further enhancing the combat capabilities of this aging yet formidable aircraft platform.