軍事面で「自立」余儀なくされる台湾、自主開発の練習機を初公開

【台中ＡＦＰ＝時事】台湾は22日、自主開発した新型練習機を公開した。好戦的な姿勢を強める中国と対峙（たいじ）する台湾は、独自の防衛兵器の製造に注力している。（写真は新型練習機「勇鷹〈ゆうよう〉」。台中の空軍基地で）
　台中で行われた新型高等練習機（ＡＪＴ）「勇鷹」の初公開飛行の式典には、蔡英文総統が出席し、同機の飛行を「歴史的瞬間」と評価。
　蔡総統は、台湾が自称する「中華民国」を用い、「きょうは中華民国空軍にとって特別な日であり、自国の航空宇宙産業にとっても重要な出来事となった」「防衛面での自給自足を目指す上で、重要な部分になる」と語った。
　練習機は、操縦士がはるかに高価な戦闘機に乗り始める前に経験を積むためのもの。台湾は現在の旧型航空機の代わりに、この新型練習機を導入することが可能になる。
　過去数十年間、台湾は中国の巨大な人民解放軍（ＰＬＡ）に対し、その数と武器装備の面で劣勢に置かれてきた。
　その上、欧米諸国が中国の憤怒を招くことを恐れ、台湾に高性能兵器システムを売ることに一層慎重になっていることで、この軍事的不均衡はさらに広がってきた。
　そのため台湾はミサイルや潜水艦、今回の新型高等練習機といった兵器の自主開発を余儀なくされている。
【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/06/23-13:41）

Taiwan unveiled a new locally-built training jet on Monday, a boost for the island's push to manufacture its own defence weapons as it faces off against an increasingly belligerent China.
President Tsai Ing-wen attended a ceremony for the first public flight of the Brave Eagle Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT), describing it as a historic moment.
Today is a big day for the Republic of China air force and it's also an important landmark for the domestic aerospace industry, Tsai told a crowd in central Taichung, using Taiwan's official name.
This is a critical part of realising our defence self-sufficiency.
Trainers are what pilots learn on before switching to much more expensive fighter jets and the AJT will allow Taiwan to replace its current fleet of obsolete aircraft.
Democratic Taiwan lives with the constant threat of invasion by China which views the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.
In recent decades it has found itself out-numbered and out-gunned by China's enormous People's Liberation Army.
The imbalance has been compounded by western governments becoming increasingly wary of selling it advanced weapon systems, fearful of incurring Beijing's wrath.
That has pushed Taiwan to develop its own hardware, including advanced missiles, boats and the new trainer jet.
Beijing has ramped up military, diplomatic and economic pressure since Tsai first took office in 2016 as she has refused to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of one China.
She won a landslide reelection in January in what was seen as a strong rebuke to China's hardline campaign against the island.
The unveiling of the AJT comes as Taiwan's ageing fleet of fighter jets are being scrambled at an unprecedented rate.
Chinese jets have entered into Taiwan's air defence identification zone seven times in the last two weeks, according to Taipei's defence ministry.
The island currently has some 300 fighter jets, all in service since the 1990s, including US-made F-16s, French-made Mirage 2000-5s and the locally developed Indigenous Defensive Fighters.
The United States has remained Taiwan's leading unofficial ally and arms supplier, but until recently Taiwan had struggled to buy new fighter jets.
Since the election of US President Donald Trump, Washington has been more willing to sell big ticket items.
Last year the Trump administration announced it would sell 66 latest generation F-16 jets to Taiwan shortly after another huge military hardware sale including missiles and armoured vehicles.
The announcement infuriated Beijing, which vowed to sanction companies involved in the sale if it went through.