Senators want Pres. Obama to sell F-16s to Taiwan

Nearly half the Senate (45 members) surged President Obama on Thursday to authorize quickly the sale of F-16 jet fighters to Taiwan, a request that has been hanging for five years.

Taiwan says it needs the 66 planes to maintain a credible defense and provide leverage in negotiations with Beijing. U.S. agreement to the sale, worth billions of dollars, would anger China’s communist-led government and would set back improved U.S.-China relations.

“Without new fighter aircraft and upgrades to its existing fleet of F-16s, Taiwan will be dangerously exposed to Chinese military threats, aggression and provocation, which pose significant national security implications for the United States,” says a letter, signed by 45 of the 100 members of the Senate, both Democrats and Republicans.

Gary Locke, nominated to become U.S. ambassador to China, told lawmakers Thursday that no decision has been made on the sale, and the request for the F-16 C/Ds still is being evaluated by the Defense and State departments.He said China should reduce its military deployments aimed at Taiwan.

The Obama administration faces an awkward choice. It is obligated under U.S. law to provide Taiwan the means of self-defense. Approving the sale, however, could prompt China to cut military ties that the United States has worked hard to forge as a way of smoothing over tensions in the Asia-Pacific where China’s military buildup has caused widespread unease.

Source: Fox News

F-15Es perform first ‘green’ flyover

An F-15E from the 335th Fighter Squadron performed the first flyover using “green” biofuel at Citizen’s Bank Park for the Phillies Opening Day on April 1.

One of the four F-15 jets from the 335th Fighter Squadron based in North Carolina flew on a blend of 50 percent traditional jet fuel and 50 percent synthetic biomass fuel made from camelina oil grown in Montana.

Unlike ethanol, which is made from corn, camelina is a weed in the mustard family and not usually considered edible. It is also considered more fuel-efficient than ethanol.

The milestone air show came two days after President Barack Obama sought to revive his battered energy policy.

In a speech at Georgetown University, Obama said the nation’s energy future depends on making fuel out of renewable resources to reduce reliance on foreign oil and polluting fossil fuels.

“Just last week, our Air Force used an advanced bio-fuel blend to fly an F-22 Raptor faster than the speed the sound,” Obama said of the first operational test of the new fuel. “In fact the Air Force is aiming to get half of its domestic jet fuel from alternative sources by 2016. And I’m directing the Navy and the Department of Energy and Agriculture to work with the private sector to create advanced bio-fuels that can power not just fighter jets, but also trucks and commercial airliners.”

The F-22 and F-15 flights prove high-performance jets can fly on synthetic fuel. The challenge, now, is to produce the fuel at a reasonable price.

 

 

 

Source: huffingtonpost.com